NAIDOC Week celebrations, which would normally take place in early July, have been postponed until November this year due to Covid-19. However, that is no reason to cancel sharing Indigenous stories and lessons with your class. After all, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures is one of the cross-curriculum priorities in the Australian Curriculum and is an important part of our national heritage. While some may not feel confident teaching Indigenous perspectives, the only way to become more confident is by being informed.
In this post I share some websites and resources that you may find useful in preparing lessons and some organisations whose goals of improving the education and future success of our Indigenous students you may wish to support.
Raising culturally aware kids
In this article, How to Raise Culturally Aware Kids written for ABC Life, Samantha Turnbull introduces us to Kirby Barker a Bandjalang worman and early childhood teacher from northern New South Wales. Kirby teaches her preschoolers to counter racism with kindness. The article shares Kirby’s advice on how to present information to young children including words that can be used to explain the history. She discusses
- the need to celebrate difference
- ways of explaining traditional owners and inviting them into the classroom
- how to talk about reconciliation with children
- the importance of sharing stories
- learning Indigenous languages
- developing empathy.
While only a brief article, you will glean many ideas from Kirby Barker which, though easily implemented, will have a profound effect.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation
The aim of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation is to raise literacy levels by supplying books to remote communities.
Continue reading: Resources for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures – readilearn
Norah Colvin 