Curriculum Design

Year 9 Indigenous Project by Georgia McClure

Many Indigenous artworks and stories tell about the connection between people and their land. For Indigenous Australians, Country is considered special as in their culture, nature and land are intertwined. They have a powerful connection to the land that define each community's distinct culture, laws and traditions. Country is central to Aboriginal spirituality and continues to encompass identity within the Indigenous community (Share Our Pride, 2019).

Through the act of walking upon, in and through Country, one can embrace the land and the characteristics surrounding them. Students are encouraged to reflect on the Country in which they live and attend school. In response, they are able to acknowledge Country and recognise the true depth of history, meaning and importance the land holds. Finally, students can discover and recognise the traditional owners of the land, their practices and traditions.

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SWIPS (South West Indigenous Programmes Society) is an educational organisation established in 2019. Our mission is to foster and promote the inclusion of Indigenous Australian content into South West Victorian Secondary Schools and the wider community. SWIPS encourages all Year 9 students to contribute to the Indigenous Programme through collaborative art making, followed by a collection of exhibitions to be distributed across towns within South West Victoria. Participants will be given the opportunity to visit, explore and discover selected sites of Indigenous cultural significance across South West Victoria. Whilst visiting these sites, they will be accompanied by local Elders who will guide them and share the history and stories held within these locations.

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References 

​Share Our Pride. (2019). Our Culture: Country. Retrieved from http://www.shareourpride.org.au/sections/our-culture/

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