Heal Country, Heal our Nation - NAIDOC 2021 in the Classroom
We were very excited today to read the announcement of this years NAIDOC theme; Heal Country, heal our nation. Such a powerful theme which resonates with many. As the NAIDOC website describes it…
“Country is inherent to our identity. It sustains our lives in every aspect - spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally. It is more than a place. When we talk about Country it is spoken of like a person. Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples it has been this way since the dawn of time.”
“Healing Country means hearing those pleas to provide greater management, involvement, and empowerment by Indigenous peoples over country.”
“Healing Country means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage. That the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders are respected equally to and the cultures and values of all Australians.”
“Healing Country means finally resolving many of the outstanding injustices which impact on the lives of our people.”
“Healing Country is more than changing a word in our national anthem – it is about the historical, political, and administrative landscapes adapting to successfully empower and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, nations, and heritage.”
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connection to Country is a central part of our culture. It speaks to the cultural, social, physical and spiritual connection we have with the land and waters of our Country, encompassing the plants, animals, rocks, hills, special and sacred sites, water systems, air, earth and everything in between. ‘Caring’ for Country is a fundamental and inherent right and responsibility for Aboriginal people in meeting their traditional custodianship responsibilities, a foundation of our culture.
Last year, when Rio Tinto deliberately destroyed a 46,000 year old sacred site in Western Australia, it seemed the whole nation actually turned and looked, if only for a second. Media attention was brought to the plight of the Traditional Owners of that place, who lost a sacred place that showed 46,000 years of continual occupation, all for the expansion of an iron ore mine. Another sad moment in Australia’s history, but a moment which does not stand alone. Across the country, First Nations are continually denied access to their lands and waters; denied access to their rights to use the resource for cultural, environmental, social and economic purposes.
For 60,000 plus years, Aboriginal people have lived and cared for this country, respecting the land, waters, plants and animals, adapting to climatic and ecological changes, and building within their communities a deep and detailed understanding of the environment and world around them. Environmental sustainability has functioned as a grounding principle of traditional Aboriginal ways of knowing, being and doing, but since colonisation, people have had their country taken away from them, and their rights ignored.
This year’s NAIDOC theme calls for these (and other) injustices to be resolved - action to be taken which protects our rights to protect and maintain our cultural heritage. Importantly, this year’s theme speaks not only to this in terms of environmental protection of Country, but also in regards to a call for “substantive institutional, structural, and collaborative reform – something generations of our Elders and communities have been advocating, marching and fighting for.” It reminds us that Country is not just place; it is place, culture, history and heritage, all intertwined in tangible and intangible ways.
Heal Country, heal nation. These powerful words call us to come together this year to not only celebrate our First Nations cultures, but to do better by Country; to protect and respect it, in all its forms.
Exploring this NAIDOC theme in the classroom need not be limited to 4 -11 July. While we mark this week in our calendars to really celebrate NAIDOC, we can take this beautiful theme and incorporate it into our classrooms all year, delving into its deep elements.
Here are a few examples of classroom topics which arise from this years NAIDOC theme:
Country - what does this mean to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?
Sacred sites - what are they? Why are they important? For older audiences - what are the historical and current legislative mechanisms that impact upon how these sacred sites are maintained / protected (or not)?
Land and Water Management - what are some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander environmental management practices? Both traditional and contemporary.
Sustainability - how do Aboriginal cultural frameworks, in particular totemic relationships within kinship practices, impact upon species sustainability?
The learning content which could be explored through Heal Country is endless, and throughout this year, we look forward to sharing with you more ways you can incorporate this important theme into your classroom.
2021 National NAIDOC logo.