More Meaningful Inclusiveness - Aboriginal Connections
Last year I attended in Coffs Harbour the funeral of an amazing Aboriginal man (Mark) who had died in a tragic accident. He was a National Parks guide - his involvement critical to a school camp program I had designed. Despite only spending 5 weeks of school camps together and a handful of telephone conversations, we had developed a special bond, which I cherished. Needless to say, I was devastated at his passing.
Last week our Year 5 cohort attended the inaugural Mosman Prep Coffs Harbour Camp. While I was excited about the camp and attending myself, I was anxious about who would fill Mark’s ‘big shoes’. I was overjoyed when Mark’s son (Matt) greeted us at Bongil Bongil National Park for our first activity - a smoking ceremony, welcome to country, and bush tucker walk.
Mark had dedicated himself to ensuring his culture was shared with Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people. He focussed on enabling positive relational connections, and ensuring his son was equipped to continue this powerful work. It was clear from our first encounter that Matt was very much a ‘chip off the old block’ (Later in the week, I was able to tell him that his dad would be proud to see what Matt was accomplishing).
At Mosman Prep we aim to promote positive and productive relationships within an inclusive learning community. We believe a healthy community is a serving community where we find joy in living a life beyond ourselves.
Respectfully valuing others and the world around us is critical as we seek to be globally aware and compassionate.
The primary aim of the Year 5 Camp was to develop positive connections with the Gumbaynggirr Aboriginal people of the Coffs Harbour region. During the week, the boys met and interacted with Aboriginal children and adults; learning about the history of the land and their culture, and how to care for the land more responsibly.
Activities included a ‘bush tucker tour’, Aboriginal tools explanation, Dreamtime stories around the campfire, and a cultural tour of locations such as Mutton Bird Island and the Arrawarra fish traps with Matt (Indigenous National Parks Aboriginal Discovery Ranger).
Our boys connected with Aboriginal students from a local Coffs Harbour School on the cultural tour (including making ochre and painting each other), working together on an adventure centre confidence course, and sharing meals.
A highlight of the trip was a visit to a local Aboriginal preschool, Kulai Preschool. In the lead-up to the trip, the boys had fundraised $2,500 (with an additional $1,000 contributed by Scholastic Australia) to purchase books, puzzles, blankets, bike helmets and basketballs to give to the children. Our boys spent the morning with the Aboriginal preschoolers singing songs, listening to stories, learning Aboriginal language and playing games.
In addition to the above, the boys had a great deal of fun developing positive relationships with each other, and powerful life and team building skills through the adventure centre confidence course (commando obstacle course, giant swing, Zipline, Zorb ball, canoeing and initiative activities), as well as through surfing together.
‘Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.’
The Year 5 Coffs Harbour trip was an extremely powerful opportunity to connect authentically with Aboriginal people and culture, which is difficult to do through visiting speakers and performers, Dreamtime story books, and doing dot paintings in an art class.
The last time I was with Mark, he said to me that members of the Aboriginal community of Coffs Harbour who had met me had accepted me into their circle. While my ignorance about Aboriginal people and culture is fairly plain, I believe they could see my heart to learn, to understand, to respect, and to genuinely connect with them. It is our hope that through activities such as the Year 5 Camp, our boys will be lighthouses for positive connections with Aboriginal people.
Peter Grimes | Headmaster
Workshop $80
