Knowledge of Australian Indigenous Literature
To what degree does your knowledge of indigenous literature enable you to support your teachers in implementing the essential knowledge, understandings and skills for this priority area?
After living in Port Augusta for six and a half years, where approximately fifty percent of the population identify as Aboriginal, I have an interest in Aboriginal culture, including literature. When I reflect upon my experiences in different classrooms, however, I can’t remember seeing a lot of examples of Indigenous literature being readily accessible to the students.
Despite my interest, my own knowledge of Indigenous literature is fairly basic, so I will need to do some research in this area to support my teachers.
This is what I do know:
We have a Series Box in our library filled with Aboriginal Dreamtime books. These books can help teachers to address OI.2, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities maintain a special connection to and responsibility for Country/Place, and OI.3, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have holistic belief systems and are spiritually and intellectually connected to the land, sea, sky and waterways (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2010 to present). They highlight the spiritual connection Aboriginal people have with their environment.
We also have a number of recent Indigenous titles, such as Coming Home to Country by Bronwyn Bancroft, and Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy, which address, in particular, OI.6, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples live in Australia as first peoples of Country or Place and demonstrate resilience in responding to historic and contemporary impacts of colonisation, and OI.9, the significant contributions of Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the present and past are acknowledged locally, nationally and globally, as well as the Organising Ideas mentioned above (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2010 to present).
Bibliography
Bancroft, B. (2020). Coming home to country. Richmond, Victoria: Little Hare Books
Murphy, J. & Kennedy, L. (2016). Welcome to country. Australia: Walker Books Australia
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2010 to present). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. In Australian curriculum: F-10 curriculum. Retrieved from https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculum-priorities/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-histories-and-cultures/