An Excursion At The Royal Botanic Garden Essay

The Aboriginal Heritage Office plays a key role in the education of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people (Northern Sydney Aboriginal Social Plan, 2006). The Aboriginal Heritage Office holds free school presentations and actives, which are designed to inform students of the heritage of their local area and to view their local landscape from an Indigenous perspective (Aboriginal Heritage Office, 2006). Other activities that the Aboriginal Heritage Offices operates include community walks and talks, staff training to provide council workers in aboriginal site awareness (Aboriginal Heritage Office, 2006).

identify and discuss the local Indigenous Australian people of the land on which the student lives/works/or studies. (live)

The Australian Indigenous community hold extremely significant corrections to the land of Australia, of which they refer to as ‘Country.’ Indigenous people acquire deep meaning from the land, sea and the countless resources derived from them. This special relationship has formed for many centuries. To them ‘Country’ is paramount for overall wellbeing; the strong, significant, spiritual bonds embody their entire existence. Knowledge is continually passed down to create an unbroken connection of past,

I’m not the Indian you had in mind; a video that was written and directed by Thomas King challenges the stereotypical image that America has towards Native Americans. King is also the author of a short novel “A seat in the Garden”. This short story also challenges the established perspective that American society has towards the Native Americans. There are various stereotypes and perspectives that a majority of the public has toward a particular group. For example some of the common stereo types that are seen throughout the media are that all Asians are good at math, women are primarily sex objects, All Africans like fried chicken, and all Mexicans are gangsters. These stereo types are not completely true for an entire group, yet they

Using the text alongside the illustrations engages in critical literacy, revealing the hidden power relationships and ideological assumptions that underline texts (Winch 2014, p.539), and strike in-depth discussions. For example, about being lost and how you managed to find your way again, what the differences are between your approach and her approach, what do you notice about where they live, how is it different from where you live, and what are all the amazing things you could possibly do if you lived there. The idea is helping to develop a child’s knowledge of their world and the knowledge about a world that is not their own (Winch 2014, p.536). Majority of Indigenous content learning occurring in the younger years found in the Australian Curriculum, is remembering, understanding and applying, in relation to Bloom’s Taxonomy (Lowe, 2015). This book can be used to unearth these cognitive processes but can further be explored beyond the elaborations of the curriculum with the grade ones to build a greater depth of understanding through analysing, evaluating and creating (Lowe, 2015).

Wright’s 1945 poem, The Hawthorn Hedge, is a representation of the predatory power of the Australian landscape over those who refuse to unite with it. It details an unspecific persona’s attempts to establish security by planting a hawthorn hedge, separating her from a harsh, imagined landscape. The specificity of “the hawthorn hedge” reveals that this is introduced British species. As the hawthorn hedge is traditionally used as a natural fence, this clarifies that the persona is attempting to block out the landscape around her. Secondly, the fact that the hawthorn hedge is a British species suggests that the persona is also attempting to establish a reminder of her homeland, Britain. A tenet of Wright’s poetry is the strength of the true Australia and the concept of Australia’s break-away from Britain, exemplified in

During the early settlement of Australia, art was primarily used for documentary purposes by ammeters and pioneers (Splatt and McLellan 1986, 1). The arrival of trained European artists yielded a wave of Colonial oil paintings (Manton 1979, 58), however, these artists were “…trained to regard the landscapes of Europe as the norm.” and therefore their work could not accurately portray the Australian identity and atmosphere (Splatt and McLellan 1986, 1-2). These Colonial artists “…retained the smooth, anonymous surface established by academic procedures and practice.” (Manton 1979, 58). As such, their European eye and techniques distorted the Australian landscape into picturesque, “park-like green hills and bubbling streams bathed in a gentle light.” (Australian Government, 2009), often grounded “….in the middle distance…” (McCaughey 1979, 7). In a stark contrast, the landscapes produced by Heidelberg School artists were lauded for their portrayal of the Australian landscape “…experience(,) realized fully in paint.” (McCaughey 1979, 7). Frederick McCubbin’s Bush Study (1902) exemplifies the difference between the work of Colonial artists and those of the Heidelberg School with its use of Impressionist techniques becoming “…an essential and explicit part of the painting.” (Manton 1979, 58). Within this work, the bush is treated as a familiar abundance and brought “…forward, virtually right up on to the picture plane.” (ibid). The “…iridescent palette and roughened paint texture…” of the work immerses the viewer allowing them to gather a sense of the heat dulled, melancholic Australian bush landscape (ibid, 54-58). McCubbin’s work, as with other Heidelberg School paintings, depict “…a world which is 'natural', self-contained, self-sufficient and paradigmatically Australian.” (Hills 1991,

I have not had a lot of experience with the Aboriginal culture apart from viewing Welcome to Country ceremonies at community events and listening to Acknowledgment of Country within school assemblies and events spoken by non-Indigenous people. I have visited many significant landmarks and historical areas relating to the Aboriginal culture within my area but hope that this critical reflection journal will help me to develop a greater understanding, awareness and knowledge of the first and traditional custodians of the country in which I now live. This journal will analyse the topics of: Acknowledgement to Country, Introduction to the unit and Preparation to teach; Identity culture and stereotypes; and, Indigenous Australian Histories and Policy and how these may impact on my pedagogy and future

Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in the curriculum has now become a high priority amoungst schools across the nation. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2013), recognises “that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority is designed for all students to engage in reconciliation, respect and recognition of the world’s oldest continuous living cultures”. By including this, the curriculum will continue to see Indigenous culture throughout school become part of the norm. Furthermore Indigenous Australian perspectives can and should be included in the classroom and any barriers that arise can be overcome.

As a future educator, it will be my job to continue acknowledging, valuing and teaching Indigenous origins, histories and cultures using the Australian Institute for Teaching and School (AITSL) standard 2.4 and the Australian Curriculum. This will give my future students a better understanding that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were the first custodians of our Australian land and of their origins. They lived in Australia 60,000 years before the British settled in 1788. I will teach an Australian historical time line prior to 1788.

Aboriginal spirituality is a celebration of connectedness. The relationships which the Indigenous people form with their environment reflects that their spirituality is far more complex than a religion, rather, it is an identity. For theses ancient people there is no separation between the people, flora and fauna, and the land (Korff, What is Aboriginal Spirituality?, 2017). All of these elements are profoundly connected through song, dance, sacred stories and art, which are the pillars of Aboriginal spirituality. These traditions also allow the Indigenous people to connect with and understand the earth, therefor understanding ancestor spirits who are ever present within the land. Ancestors may have come to rest within specific land forms (Australian Museum, 2015). These connections create an inextricable relationship with the land; not only in a spiritual sense, but also as a way of understanding one’s history. “The land is our food, our culture, our spirit and identity” (Korff, What is Aboriginal Spirituality?, 2017). This report will explore the connection between Indigenous spirituality, land rights, European settlement and the impact colonisation had on the Australian Aboriginal peoples.

It also provides students the knowledge and understanding of history by revealing “the importance of Country/Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples who belong to a local area” (ACARA, 2015,

The essay "In Search of Our Mother's Gardens" by contemporary American novelist Alice Walker is one that, like a flashbulb, burns an afterimage in my mind. It is an essay primarily written to inform the reader about the history of African American women in America and how their vibrant, creative spirit managed to survive in a dismal world filled with many oppressive hardships. This piece can be read, understood, and manage to conjure up many emotions within the hearts and minds of just about any audience that reads it. However, Walker targets African American women in today's society in an effort to make them understand their heritage and appreciate what their mothers and grandmothers endured to

Throughout history to present day, Australian culture has become the product of a distinct blend of established traditions and new influences. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the country’s original inhabitants, created the foundation for the land’s cultural traditions over 40,000 years ago. In addition, the rest of Australia’s people are migrants or descendants of migrants from various other countries who transported their own customs, beliefs, and value systems to the land. As a result, Australia’s culture has significantly broadened its social and cultural profile over the years, and still continues to evolve today.

During this semester, my learning experiences have been very momentous towards my understanding of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. My personal viewpoint has been opened during this semester. This unit has assisted in my understanding towards the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The one thing that really interested me was the birthing traditions, women’s business and the Grandmother’s Law in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders culture.