SCEGGS Stories of Immersion in Indigenous Australia

The best trip I could have ever taken, this immersion to Cape York, taught me and gave me a greater understanding of Indigenous culture from a different perspective than my own.

This trip really changed my view of Indigenous culture in Australia. It showed and taught me about the different types of viewpoints from the two different elder groups we visited. Melsonby (Gaarraay) elders shared with us the history of the land their home was on. We saw amazing rock art and the stories behind them, with one of them being about the medicine man and how people who were a part of the community would go there to be healed and cared for.

After ten days of immersion, it really showed me a different view of life and how not everyone lives in the city and not everyone gets the same benefits as we do. 

On Day 4 of our final day at Melsonby we asked the elders some questions with one of the questions being, “How can we students help drive towards reconciliation?” Julie replied to the question saying the “Only way we hope you kids can drive towards reconciliation is to teach people back home about what we learnt and talk about the experiences we have had while being on Melsonby”. With Julie saying this, it really made me think, “What can I do?” “How can I drive for reconciliation?” I think by sharing what I learned it could really change people’s views on Indigenous culture in Australia.

Ashaa Bonner
Year 9

 

It’s hard to put into words all the knowledge I was able to obtain whilst being in Cape York. Much of what we experienced can’t be expressed fully through just words, but they can be shown through our actions. Hearing about the struggles Dez, one of the Traditional Owners (TOs) at Yungee, faced when asking for water rights and the racism both families still face to this day, enlightened me with all we still need to work on as a nation. It also motivated me to speak and act more when it comes to these issues. There were many times where the TOs said things that brought us all to tears, but a quote that I will forever remember is, as we were leaving Loggy crossing (our second homeland), Dora, one of the Elders, told my friend Maddie and I ‘Just like you have learnt from us, we have learnt from you. You give me hope that there are good non-Indigenous people out there.” This one sentence holds so much emotion and value in the way that our involvement and engagement also benefitted the communities who were so generous to us. It was beautiful to hear that we were able to give back just that little bit of hope after all we had received. All the memories of our tents getting creeked, thankfully our Taj Mahal stayed dry, all of our hugs, the bonding between year groups and witnessing a new way of life, will never be forgotten.

 

Although 10 days in rural Australia without your phone might sound daunting, it was actually extremely refreshing and in Pheobe’s case, it gave her enough time to steal everyone’s books to read. For me the most emotional part of our journey was having to leave. I most certainly did not want to go back to the city. No matter how many hugs I was given by Trev, Tammy and the girls, my tears would not stop. There is no way I would have believed that I would be that emotional when leaving, but the impact of hearing all the community members stories changed me and will forever be with me. The connections we formed in such a short amount of time are indescribable. The one-on-one conversations, group yarns, and story telling when teaching us about First Nations culture and land, were truly a blessing. Coming out of the immersion, I have made so many new Year 10 friends (in Ms Connelly’s words I was ‘adopted’) and have been able to share what I have learnt with those around me. Being able to show my family some of the songs Tammy and Nas have sung, along with describing the homelands to my friends has given me a sense of pride. I am proud to have learnt so much and have been chosen to experience all I have. I wouldn’t have swapped Cape York for anything, and I just hope I can make the Traditional Owners proud through my actions in the future.

Scarlett Falzon
Year 9

 

Reflections from the Top End Immersion

The 10-day Top End Immersion in the Northern Territory was a journey filled with challenges and rewards, which pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and connect with the people and culture of Indigenous Australia. One of the most profound realisations during this Immersion was the immense privilege I enjoy in my daily life. Access to education, supermarkets, entertainment, and public transport is something I’ve often taken for granted, however, witnessing the limited resources available in the Naiuyu community of just 400 people starkly contrasted my own situation, seriously emphasising the importance of valuing the opportunities and resources I have.

 

This experience has enabled me to appreciate the privilege of having teachers and parents who are not only willing but also able to offer me opportunities for educational success, particularly in light of the realisation that not all children in Australia behold such support. Engaging in conversations with the traditional owners and residents of the Naiuyu community and the Barnatjarl homeland provided valuable insights into their daily lives and the challenges they face. At first I was confused when I asked some Traditional Owners about their thoughts on the referendum concerning The Voice, that they were relatively untroubled with what the result would entail for the country. Instead, as I later learned, their concerns often revolved around their children’s future and the potential impact of alcoholism on their communities. They conveyed their worries regarding alcohol and its potential to affect their children’s education, expressing a genuine desire for community-based initiatives to address these issues. Despite the challenges endured, such as the consecutive 40-degree days, there were moments of profound beauty and connection. Swimming in a natural water whole with my friends, being awoken on the last night under the stars with pouring rain, sharing a cookout with locals, featuring kangaroo tail and damper, and spending time with the children who greeted us with smiles after a day of swimming, piggy-backs and laughter were experiences, I’ll never forget.

 

Learning about indigenous practices, such as weaving and the creation of bush medicine with the women of the Barnatjarl homeland, provided me with a clearer understanding of their culture. One of the most significant privileges I gained was receiving my Skin Name, Garmanj. It emphasised the sense of belonging and connection to the people within the community, forging a familial bond that transcended language and cultural differences. In this profound journey, I’ve come to appreciate the rich tapestry of Australia’s Indigenous cultures, the strength of their communities, and the need for continued support and understanding to address the challenges faced in these rural areas.

 

Claudia Cheetham
Year 11