SCEGGS Stories of Immersion in Indigenous Australia
We hope you enjoy reading a range of reflections about Stories of Immersion in Indigenous Australia from the students this week. For the previous week’s reflections see here.
Reflections from the Cape York Immersion (Red Group)
When I was preparing to leave my house early Sunday morning to go to the airport, I had no idea what kind of amazing experience I was about to embark on. From immersing myself in the rich Indigenous culture, I have been able to come home with new knowledge, friendships and connections, and most importantly, a new perspective of the world and my place in it. I am beyond grateful to be given the chance to learn and experience new things, now returned home with deeper views on reconciliation and a better understanding of the lives of people living across Australia.
In the first homeland we visited, Melsonby, our group were able to experience incredible rock art sites, learn about the natural uses of the bush and the land, as well as being able to talk to the traditional owners who were more than welcoming to us. From going on long walks through the bush, we were taught about the uses of the plants and animals, traditional owner, Bulla, telling us how they considered their surrounding land to be their pharmacy, supermarket, and chemist all in one. From making soap out of leaves, eating any green ants we could find, and from seeing the history displayed across rock faces through traditional rock paintings, I realised that the knowledge we were being taught was something that we should share with those back home and that it is our job to ensure that Indigenous culture is respected and not lost.
A key part of our journey to Cape York that I have continued to think about, was our quick trip to the local town, Hopevale. This was an eye-opening experience that I will continue to think about as I further reflect on the immersion throughout my life. Heading into the small supermarket we were given a shock as we walked through the aisles. Looking across the shelves, we could see the difference between a life we are so used to back at home compared to that experienced in these small towns. Trying to decide on what to buy when creating an elaborate scheme with Darcey and Ava trying to get the best and most food from our, one item only, rule not only concerned what kind of biscuits we wanted, but also the high prices of everything in stock. I can confirm that in the end, our snack choices could not have been any better.
Another highlight from the trip was our incredible underground meal that we shared in our second homeland, Binthi-Warra. Learning from the traditional owners, it was amazing to see how we could prepare and cook a meal using the natural things around us. Digging a hole in the ground and covering the embers of our fire, we were able to cook our roast for four hours before getting to serve and eat it for dinner.
Reflecting on this immersion trip, I have been able to come back with a new perspective, knowledge, and new friendships that I will cherish forever. Most importantly, I have come home with the understanding that I can help to support reconciliation in Australia through sharing my experiences and knowledge, encouraging the continuation of their culture and connection with the land. Cape York has been the experience of a lifetime, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have gone on this trip and the new person I have become once returned home.
Summer McCarthy
Year 9
Reflections from the Cape York Immersion (Yellow Group)
Coming off the bus at Yungee bush camp and being greeted by a gathering of goats, is quite a vivid memory of mine. Yungee Bush camp is a calm but wild country, full of free-roaming cattle. The wind is very strong, but the atmosphere is still serene. The air is thick and humid and smells warm like rich dirt. The dirt and earth are an organic, reddish-brown tone which seemed to stick on all our belongings days after we left the homeland. Even now being back home, the bottom of my crocks and hiking bag still hold the stains from the distinctive colour of the ground. The traditional owners of Yungee bush camp are Des and Estelle Bowen, who created such a welcoming, family-orientated space.
I never realised I could get so close with a group of people over such a short period of time, but I connected so much to the family at Yungee, especially the kids. They are all so creative, kind, imaginative and have so much love for their culture. Sahtiva is 8 years old and loves art (specifically drawing turtles). Her little sister is 6 and is called Tinashe, she loves playing in the bush with her little cousins. Sahtiva and Tinashe also have a younger brother called Jady who is around 1. Markeisha is their 10 year old cousin who loves AFL, and Toby their other cousin is 6. The younger cousins also include Jace who is 2, Jackson (JJ) who is 5 and starts school next year, Kalean, and Baby Jimmy.
I also got to know Jace and JJ’s mum, Ella, and had the opportunity to ask her lots of questions. I learnt different dot painting techniques from her, as well as the history of their land and how it was handed back to them through the native title process. I met many other people such as Harry and Michael who shared a lot of knowledge about the bush, teaching us about natural dyes and burner seeds (which are seeds that heat up if you rub them on a tree). I also had the opportunity to meet Destiny who is such an amazing woman, as well as Alicia who is Sahtiva, Tinashe and Jady’s Mother. Hearing stories about Des’s life was such an amazing experience, as he told us how he started work at 16 years old, we got to understand how different his life is to ours. We also heard his opinion on their loss of language and he made us aware of the struggles they face every day at Yungee. These struggles include the fact that their homeland is very remote and far from schools, medical facilities, and work opportunities. This was a particular struggle for Des as he needs dialysis and as a result, must drive for hours just to receive the medical treatment he needs. Talking to Estelle, I learned about the impact of the wet season, which cuts off access to Yungee for months at a time, meaning they need to be prepared with enough resources in the house to last them. (She also taught us her damper recipe which was really delicious).
At Yungee, we collected natural dye, painted on burner seeds and shells, played with the kids, had opportunities to ask questions, and worked on two projects which were building an outdoor kitchen and painting the house. We were taught Estelle’s Damper recipe and sat around the fire. Something I found very hard whilst staying at Yungee, was adjusting to the relaxed lifestyle. In Sydney I am so used to being rushed with a million things to do, and never really having time to relax, but in a remote place like Yungee there wasn’t the same busyness.
The second homeland we stayed at was Loggy Crossing in Hopevale, which is an extremely welcoming and warm place. The traditional owners of Loggy Crossing are Dora and Trev, who are both amazing musicians and singers. It was so nice that I could share my passion of music with them and even got to learn about Dora’s song writing process that she uses whilst writing original songs. We were taught about the history of Hopevale in a very educational way and learnt about the harmful events that affected their people such as the evacuation in WW2 where people were forcibly moved from their homelands, this really opened my eyes to the reality of discrimination and persecution these people face. We also learned about how damaging stereotypes of indigenous people can be, and were given messages to take home to break those stereotypes if we come across them. I also connected with such lovely kids like Nova, her niece Chate, Lila, and Mateo.
We learnt some words in Guugu Yimithirr language such as nhiiriil which means stingray, ngaanthu which means woman, birra which means leaf, and guuluu which means sea urchin. We also learnt about the traditional uses for different types of plants such as the soapy leaf which is used as a natural hand soap, and the sandpaper leaf which is a plant with very rough leaves that was used to sand down spears. I met Aunty Fay who was an amazing woman who taught us how to weave baskets. Aunty Fay also told us about how she learnt the weaving technique from her mother and how she teaches it at various indigenous festivals to keep her culture alive.
I also met Dora and Trev’s son-in-law, Jack, and I loved getting to know him and hearing about his life. He taught us how to make small leather earrings that he said he used to make for his daughters. I also learnt Dora’s damper recipe which was very delicious, and highlighted the differences and diversities between different indigenous cultures as it was very different from Estelle’s recipe. Every night was spent by the campfire together, as Dora, Trev and Nas played covers and original songs on their guitars with the most gorgeous harmonies.
On our last night at Loggy, we made a Kup Murri which is essentially a traditional form of slow cooking used for important and significant events. A fire is lit in a deep hole in the ground, which then forms hot coals. Seasoned Meat and Vegetables are wrapped in foil and put down the bottom before it is covered up with corrugated iron and sealed with rocks and dirt. It was very delicious, and tables were set out and music was played as we all enjoyed and ate together one last time. We even had a little dance party with all the kids.
Throughout the 10 days I have learned some key messages and we did experience some challenges which just ended up helping us grow more and connect as a group. During our first night, we woke up to puddles in our tents due to leaks in the tent’s outer fly amid heavy rainfall throughout the night. Although a lot of our belongings did end up wet, this experience bonded our group a lot closer together, as we all slept outside together under the kitchen shelter. I learnt that although there are always going to be obstacles or challenges, the way we react to them is what matters. The fact that we all got on with it and persisted together, is what bonded us stronger, and it has now created a very funny memory to look back on.
Another key moment during the trip for me was receiving painted shells and letters from the kids at Yungee Bush camp. This memory was a very emotional moment for me, because it was the time that I realised, that the kids had not only heavily impacted me, but I had also impacted them. I learned so much from these kids in so many ways and was inspired by the way they use their imagination to entertain themselves. The fact that the kids saw me as a role model and even called me their cousin made me realise just how much I had also impacted them.
Another key message and small challenge was adjusting to a different lifestyle, making me realise how different remote living is. Here is an extract from day 5 in my journal:
“When you are in a remote area, where all the materialistic things are gone like mirrors, phones, even music, there is such a weird sense of presence within everyone you are surrounded by. The fact that we have no sense of time, except the sky above us and our internal clock, means we can’t tell ourselves when we are supposed to be hungry or tired, we just have to rely on our bodies and each other. Being out here is so different from life in Sydney. There is no urgency and never a million things to do, there is only one thing to do which is to exist. I have loved learning from the people living here, and being able to understand their way of life and learn about the struggles they face”.
Another very raw and impactful memory is the last night we spent in the country, at Loggy crossing. We all gathered and watched a presentation Dora, Trev and Tammy about the evacuation in May 1942, where Indigenous people were forcefully re-located to southern communities by the military (most were sent to Woorabinda). We learnt about the hurt that this violence and discrimination created, and brought upon the people of Hopevale and how today, there is a day used to remember the people who suffered, and perished due to the horrible event. We listened to the song “evac” which is an original song that was beautifully written about this event, which helped convey the impacts of discrimination and violence and was very emotional to listen to. As we were leaving Loggy Crossing Dora said thank you to us for helping her get to know and be re-assured that there are good Australians out there who are willing to learn about culture and stand for reconciliation. This memory will stay with me forever because I was shocked that we had all equally learnt from and impacted each other, and I was so happy that we were able to instill hope in each other.
Returning home, I am filled with hope and inspiration and I hope to spread the lessons and knowledge I learnt so we can all become closer to reconciliation. I am now inspired to take action and stand up when I can and have so much hope for our youth. Stereotypes still exist about Indigenous people going down the wrong paths and becoming involved in alcohol and drug abuse, and Dora has directly inspired me to stand up for the struggles indigenous people face in any way I can. There is still so much racism and discrimination in Australia, with many families still experiencing generational trauma, isolation, unemployment, and loss of culture. There is something so special about learning about indigenous culture first-hand, on country and you learn and gain so much more than you ever could in a classroom through textbooks. I have only been to two homelands and have only seen a snapshot of struggles and disparities experienced by Indigenous peoples. I will forever be grateful that I had the opportunity to be invited onto country to learn and listen and I now hope to take action in any way I can, even if it is a small conversation. I have developed so much more love for the country I live in and have so much desire to protect it and fight for it. I have also returned with another lens to look through life with, and the awareness that materialistic things don’t matter as much as we think they do, and the fact that I don’t need to be caught up in the busyness of life just to stress about exam results or anything else in life. The people I have met during the trip are my family and they all taught me the importance of family and connection. I would like to thank the teachers and red earth leaders, especially the ones leading the yellow group (Dan, Vic, Ms Tring, Ms Connolly, Ms Anderson and Ms Styles), as well as everyone else in my group. We all became closer through the challenges, and I wouldn’t have wanted to spend this amazing trip with anyone else.
Overall, I am eternally grateful for having the opportunity to go on this immersion trip, and have the chance to meet such wonderful people, and to gain so much inspiration and hope for reconciliation in the future.
Zoe Crisafulli
Year 10
Reflections from the Top End Immersion
During the October holidays, I had the privilege of going on a 10-day immersion experience in Top End, where I would visit Nauiyu, a community of 400 people, and Barnatjal, the homeland of a large extended family. I had previously gone on a similar journey visiting Cape York, so I jumped at the chance to learn and engage on another amazing and eye-opening experience.
On our final night of this 10-day immersion, we had a group reflection. When were asked how we would act on what we had learnt and experienced, I shared Mirium Rose’s message, an elder we had the privilege of meeting in Nauiyu and 2021 Senior Australian of the Year, of the necessity of “walking in two worlds.” This is about the importance of learning about the culture of First Nations Australians, especially by listening to the knowledge passed on through amazing opportunities such as that of the Red Earth immersion. By exploring one world we can better understand the similarities and differences between the two and work together to achieve a connection. To continue fostering this connection, I have tried to share the knowledge I learnt while I was away with everyone I could.
The most meaningful message I took away was the importance of community and family, which was a defining feature of both Nauiyu and Barnatjal. When we visited Nauiyu, we were welcomed into a tight-knit family that were eager to share their community pool, sports fields, refreshing icy poles, and mango trees! We were taught about their connection to the land through a welcome to country ceremony and given the opportunity to taste bushtucker, including sugar bark, green ants, kangaroo tail, and the best honey I’ve ever tasted! However, we were also made aware of some of the extremely difficult challenges of living in a small, remote community including healthcare, poverty, and an addiction to sugar. However, organisations such as Iron Bark, who provide activities and education for employment opportunities, and the local healthcare facility, who have close connections with Darwin to support the community, have made incredible contributions towards sustaining these remote communities. These organisations reinforce the message of community and the importance of supporting those around us.
At the homeland Barnatjal, culture was shared through a welcome to country ceremony, digeridoo performance and the passing on of knowledge about skin names. Later, I had the privilege of talking to Betty who graciously answered my questions and taught me about welcome to country ceremonies. I learnt that only men can perform a ceremony for men, and vice versa, and I learnt about the welcome to country that occurs when a baby is born. I loved talking to her and spent the rest of my visit with more confidence to ask questions about weaving, bush medicine, and other ceremonial practices. As well experiencing the connection to culture, I loved viewing the different landforms and plants that characterise the Northern Territory. One night before dinner, we went to a nearby landform that overlooked the sunset and a forest that continued for kilometres and sat in silence. It was so incredibly calming and was an important reminder of the value of nature. Barnatjal is a beautiful community with family connections to be admired.
After experiencing the incredible opportunities of both the 2022 Cape York Immersion and this one, I strongly recommend the experience to give yourself the opportunity to walk in two worlds yourself.
Eleanor Lawson
Year 11
