Teaching Aboriginal Country and Place

The Australian Curriculum (ACARA) tells primary teachers that they must teach children about Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples history and culture.

In Foundation Year ACARA expects teachers to explain the concepts of Country and Place to 4 and 5 year old children. However, most non-indigenous teachers are struggling with these concepts themselves!

So what do you do? How do you teach something so complex to little learners whilst still meeting the ACARA objectives?

Let me run you through the basics...

TERMINOLOGY

I have worked with many Aboriginal elders in my time as a teacher and researcher for the government and most tell me they do not have any particular issue with the term Aboriginal. The term actually means "inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists" so Aboriginal can refer to Native Americans and to Australian Aboriginals.

The term 'indigenous' is no longer acceptable to use when referring to Aboriginal peoples.

It is important to always say Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples as these two groups are very distinct from one another. You can read more about this here.

WHAT IS COUNTRY?

The reason why it is so difficult to define an Aboriginal person as 'an Aboriginal' is because most Aboriginal peoples identify themselves with the tribe or part of Australia their family ancestry stems from. For example, a person might refer to themselves as a "Yuggera woman" or say "I'm a Simpson of Gamilaraay Country".  Belonging to Country (always with a capital C) is important to Aboriginal peoples. You will find a fantastic map outlining all the tribes around Australia here (it's important to note these boundary lines often change with changes to Native Title claims). Always seek clarification from your Aboriginal elder.

This may all feel like semantics but what we are teaching children is that it is important to be culturally aware.

WHAT IS PLACE?

The meaning of 'Place' is far more complicated than just naming a place you might visit or live in. To Aboriginal peoples 'Place' means to have a spiritual, physical, social and cultural connection to the land. Aboriginal connection to the land is through every animal, tree, mountain, river and rock, it is a constant place of learning. Aboriginal people consider themselves custodians of the land, not owners as such. Click this link to watch a wonderful video of an Aboriginal elder discussing the concept that the '... land owns us" rather than 'we own the land'.

So why discuss Country and Place with young students?

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) aims to build a student's understanding of Australian history through the exploration of its first peoples. By the time a Foundation Year student reaches upper primary they have the groundwork complete on the importance of Country and Place to Aboriginal peoples.

HOW DO YOU TEACH THESE CONCEPTS TO FOUNDATION YEAR STUDENTS?

The same way you teach all of their other subjects - by keeping it fun and engaging!

It is crucially important to get advice from your local Aboriginal elder or Torres Strait Islander elder. They will be able to tell you which tribe has native title to the land your school is located on (most schools already have a strong connection with their local elder). Invite the elder to your school or contact the local authority within your area to get confirmation of:

• who has native title in your area?
• which languages are spoken in your area? (some areas cross over boundaries of tribes or languages)
• what the local sites of historical importance are?
• what is the local history of your area?

You will find a wealth of information on this at this website. 

You'll also find teaching materials shown in this post within the Foundation Year Geography pack.