NAIDOC Week 2021
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TEACHER GUIDE YEARS F TO 10 NAIDOC Week 2021 Warning – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers and students are advised that this curriculumresource may contain images, voices or names of deceased people. Glossary Terms that may need to be introduced to students prior to teaching the resource: ceded: to hand over or give up something, such as land, to someone else. First Nations people: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. NAIDOC: (acronym) National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. NAIDOC Week: a nationally recognised week to celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. All Australians are invited to participate. sovereignty: supreme authority and independent power claimed or possessed by a community or state to govern itself or another state. Resource overview Introduction to NAIDOC Week – A history of protest and celebration NAIDOC Week is usually celebrated in the first full week of July. It’s a week to celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of First Nations people. Although NAIDOC Week falls in the mid-year school holidays, the aim of each theme isn’t limited to those set dates. Schools are encouraged to recognise and celebrate NAIDOC Week at any time throughout the year to ensure this important event isn’t overlooked. Themes can be incorporated as part of school life and the school curriculum. NAIDOC stands for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’, the committee responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week. Its acronym has now become the name of the week. NAIDOC Week has a long history beginning with the human rights movement for First Nations Peoples in the 1920s. In 1938, protestors declared Australia Day to be a ‘Day of Mourning’. From 1955, this mourning became a celebration of Indigenous culture and was held on the first Sunday in July. Later, the second Sunday in July became a day of remembrance for First Nations people and Indigenous heritage, which resulted in NAIDOC Week. A timeline of the history of the struggle for Indigenous rights and recognition can be downloaded from the NAIDOC Week website. NAIDOC Week isn’t just a celebration for Indigenous communities, it’s for all Australians. It’s an opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to acknowledge and celebrate First Nations communities. Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important issues and events for the coming year. 2021 theme – Heal Country, heal our nation This year’s theme, ‘Heal Country, heal our nation’, is a call to action, to listen to First Nations people and see what’s happening across the nation, and to address historical injustices so that healing can take place. It’s a call for stronger measures to recognise, protect and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage (NAIDOC, 2021). First Nations cultures have been recognised as the oldest living cultures in the world. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people believe that First Nations people have been in Australia since time immemorial (Munro in Currie, 2008). Archaeological dating methods have uncovered evidence that First Nations people occupied and cared for this continent for at least 65,000 years (Weule and James, 2017). Understandably, the concept of Country for First Nations people is more than just a place; it’s the spiritual, emotional, social and cultural connections that have been established over thousands of years. However, since colonisation the land has been systematically exploited, which has had a devastating effect on the land, climate and First Nations Peoples. The call to ‘Heal Country’ asks for protections for the land, waters, sacred sites and cultural heritage and meaningful reform of land management processes. It’s a call for environmental management that’s inclusive and respectful of the Indigenous knowledges and practices that have sustainably cared for the land for thousands of years. Healing Country also recognises the need to resolve the historical injustices against First Nations Peoples and to work together towards meaningful and lasting reform of the policies and politics that continue to disadvantage First Nations people. It’s a powerful call to action to take advantage of the opportunity to be part of radically overhauling the existing systems and creating a new lived experience for First Nations Peoples. Taking part in NAIDOC activities is an opportunity for students to learn about First Nations Peoples’ histories and connection to land. It’s also an opportunity to recognise that sovereignty was never ceded, and that Australia always was, and always will be, Indigenous land. NAIDOC WEEK 2021 © Concilia Ltd trading as Australians Together 2021 2 First Nations people have a continuous connection to, relationship with and management of the land. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the world’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, astronomers and artists (National NAIDOC Secretariat, 2020). This rich history, culture and connection to the land, has been passed down through generations and interweaves itself into every aspect of daily life – it remains in place today and will continue into the future. Activities Activities in this resource are grouped by subject area (language and literacy, HASS, science, and the arts) The activities are centred on the knowledge that ‘Healing Country’ begins with understanding: • the connection between the land and art, language, geography, music and literature • the ways that connection to land is part of everyday life for many First Nations people • the historical achievements of First Nations people • the way Australia’s history since colonisation continues to impact the connection First Nations people have to the land today. Healing Country also recognises the role of First Nations Peoples as custodians of the land and the need to return to a more respectful and sustainable relationship with Country. The activities examine the connection that First Nations people have and always will have with Country, and encourage students, teachers and the school community to: • look deeper into their own connection to the places they live, learn and play • explore their own roles and responsibilities to care for the land and environment • recognise the role of First Nations people as custodians of land and how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue this role at a local and national level • explore the role of First Nations community leaders, artists and professionals through the NAIDOC Week Awards. Other activities invite students to make connections with local First Nations artists and community members through Indigenous-led events throughout the year and explore First Nations artworks, languages, literature and music. Australian Curriculum aligned The activities in this resource are aligned with the Australian Curriculum Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cross- curriculum priority. The specific codes, descriptions and elaborations can be accessed here: https://australianstogether.org.au/assets/Curriculum-Resources/NAIDOC-Week-2021-ACARA-links.pdf Learning areas This resource has been laid out based on learning areas to enable teachers to plan lessons that can be connected with current teaching and learning programs. The learning areas include history, geography, language and literacy, science, and the arts. Suggestions also are included for whole school activities. Student activities Activities support teaching across the learning areas around the theme of ‘Heal Country’ and encourage deep thinking about this topic while developing critical thinking, research, and literacy skills. Activities have been created with general age groups in mind but can be adapted for your classroom and year level. Australians Together would love to hear about how students participated in the activities below and see any pictures you have of student work. You can email us at [email protected] Whole school celebrations and cross-curriculum ideas – NAIDOC Week and beyond Because NAIDOC Week falls in the school holidays this year, schools may choose another week during the year to celebrate the NAIDOC Week theme as a community. Schools are encouraged to celebrate and, where appropriate, participate in local community Indigenous-led celebrations or online events and to take the opportunity to connect with local First Nations communities and to make those connections part of ongoing collaborations. NAIDOC WEEK 2021 © Concilia Ltd trading as Australians Together 2021 3 Celebrating the NAIDOC Week theme as a school is also an opportunity to share the work of students with their families and the wider community – either virtually, through the school newsletter, or through an event or exhibition. The activities in this section are designed to encourage each member of the school community, from students, parents, teachers, and local community members, to explore what NAIDOC Week means for them. Schools may choose to plan activities by year level or in teaching teams, with a shared year level or whole school focus, to bring together student learning in a celebration at the end of the week. Consider looking at ways that your school can connect with, celebrate and recognise First Nations histories and cultures throughout the year; for example, by incorporating an Acknowledgement of Country into school events. Acknowledgement