Bringing Indigenous Australia into Your Classroom Decor
Showcasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture in your classroom décor is an easy way to create a culturally inclusive learning environment for your children and students.
I recently yarned with Katie from Indigenous business Fraser and Felt about ways for teachers to do this. Amongst other products, one of Fraser and Felt’s stand out products are their “pride garlands” and “pride trivets”, which highlight the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
As Katie said to me, “There are simple things that Early Childhood Centres can do to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is visible and valued within their centre. The most basic being displaying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags proudly and prominently.”
Acknowledgment to Country is another easy way to show culture - we love the plaques by Aboriginal business Kinya Lerrk; they use stunning Aboriginal design and art to make homes and offices come alive with colourful designs which celebrate culture and respectfully acknowledge traditional owners of land.
Bunting is another simple way of showcasing Aboriginal art in the classroom. Art is a powerful storytelling tool and we love seeing Aboriginal fabric bunting hanging proudly in classrooms. A lot of our bunting is hand-sewn by the talented Paige at Brandy-Rose.
Our friends over at TIPIAC also have some amazing digital resources you can purchase and print off for use in your classrooms - things like Birthday Calendars which feature colourful Aboriginal art. They also have Aboriginal art name tags and door displays. All easy ways to authentically bring Aboriginal art into the classroom so children see it on an everyday basis rather than a one-off at NAIDOC or Reconciliation Week.
So why bring Aboriginal art into your classroom décor? For your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, including easily recognisable elements of their culture in your classroom will help build a culturally safe space for them to learn in; it can assist in building a sense of belonging and pride.
It also demonstrates to all students that you as the teacher respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. Incorporating such décor into your classrooms helps to break down stereotypes and can be a great platform for sparking your students’ interests in learning more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.