By Callum Ludwig
Millwarra Primary School is engaging with First Nations culture through art and education for National Reconciliation Week.
Students have designed and drawn their own Indigenous Guernseys like those worn in the AFL for Sir Doug Nicholls round, creating stories with their designs through symbols they have learnt the meaning of.
Art and Library teacher Patricia Snowdon said she spoke to the students about the history of Reconciliation Week.
“We’ve got an enormous collection of Indigenous stories with Indigenous authors and illustrators, so we linked our art and library sessions into a chat about Reconciliation Week,” she said.
“The theme this year is Be Brave, Make Change, so we thought of examples of how students can be brave, say something and make a change.”
Students have also learnt about Sorry Day and what Reconciliation means as well as what is ‘acceptable and unacceptable language’ when it comes to addressing First Nations peoples.
Ms Snowdon said the students were quite shocked by any racism they had witnessed.
“They wonder why someone would be mean about that. One of the boys said they are going to have to not copy what the adults are doing even though they’re supposed to know when they’re assuming at that age that adults do the right thing,” she said.
“I was telling them it’s all to do with them now, it’s the youth that will make the change.”
Ms Snowdon said it is incredibly important for kids to have a greater understanding and appreciation of First Nations culture, and that we cannot make a change without the next generation on board.
Millwarra Primary School students are continuing their learning and art this week for National Reconciliation Week ending Friday 3 June.
