Acknowledgement of Country Plaque in the Primary School

Acknowledgment of Country is a continuation of protocols that have been practised for thousands of years by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as part of a process of ensuring safe passage and respectful conduct whilst on Country. For non-Indigenous Australians, it is a clear, upfront show of recognition, respect and reconciliation. Molly Hunt, a Balanggarra and Yolngu woman, and an ABC Journalist, says “an Acknowledgment can be given by an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person. It’s an opportunity to introduce yourself and to show the respect you have for the Country, the people and water you’re on.”

As such, the SCEGGS Reconciliation Working Group have made it a priority this year to run workshops and educate the whole school on how to give a meaningful Acknowledgment of Country. Jola Cumming, a Butchulla woman, and the Indigenous Student Co-ordinator at SCEGGS, says “to hear an non-Indigenous person Acknowledge Country is powerful as it recognises that we as Indigenous people are still here today and it shows that we are on the right path to reconciliation.”

Year 2 took on this meaningful initiative with their usual gusto and after reflecting on the history of The Stolen Generations and the National Reconciliation Week theme, In This Together, set about writing their own, heartfelt individual Acknowledgements of Country (some of which you can read below).

We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation and we thank them for sharing their land. We show respect to the Aboriginal Elders of the past, present and future. We promise to look after the animals. We will put our rubbish in the bins. We will take care of your Land and Country. We say sorry for taking kids away from their families and their culture.
Ella 

We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We promise to look after your Land. We will learn from your stories. We are sorry for what has happened in the past, it will never happen again. Thank you for sharing your Land with us.
Anara 

We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the people who looked after this land long before we did. We respect your Elders past, present and future. Hello land. Hello sky. Hello ocean. Hello loving friends and family.
Jessie and Mackenzie 

We then engaged with Kinya Lerrk – a 100% Aboriginal owned and operated business, to create an Acknowledgement of Country plaque for the entrance of the Primary School, which will be installed over the coming weeks. Year 2 excitedly participated with the process by voting on the designs they felt were most appropriate for children learning on Gadigal Country.

Please take your time to stop and read the plaque and absorb the meaning behind the artwork, called Mulana (“Spirit” in Yorta Yorta language). As Kinya Lerrk describes: “This plaque features beautiful bright colours and layers of land which hold the spirit of our Ancestors, theirs stories and their dreaming.  The footprints represent walking on and connection to Country and the circles represent significant places for Aboriginal people on Country”.

Sarah Kearney
Co-chair of the SCEGGS Reconciliation Working Group