Warm cultural welcome from small school

The spirit of NAIDOC 2018 filled a small school on the outskirts of Bundaberg on Wednesday 5 September, when IWC delivered a cultural education session.

Set in a small township of 189 residents 38km outside Bundaberg and 12km from Gin Gin, Bullyard State School has a vibrant energy and IWC team members received a warm welcome.

IWC is committed to Reconciliation in Action, and providing cultural education to students is something we can give to the community. When Bullyard State School Principal Alexander Price invited us to deliver a NAIDOC event to the whole school, which has 42 students, we were delighted to accept. IWC has a wide range of artefacts on permanent display, and we brought some of these historic items to the children to explain their significance.

The theme of NAIDOC 2018 is “Because of Her, We Can”, celebrating the invaluable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made – and continue to make – to our communities, our families, our rich history and to our nation.

So it was only fitting that IWC team members Jenny Springham and Kiama Theuerkauf-Smith, respectively of the Gurang and Wakka Wakka peoples. delivered the cultural session.

It included discussion about cultural artefacts, traditional face-painting with ochre and boomerang painting. The students then tucked into traditional damper with golden syrup provided by IWC’s Guava Café.

Mr Price said the school embraced each and every child for their diversity, skills and talents.

“IWC has provided us with an opportunity to celebrate the culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and this will have lasting benefits for our school community,” he said.

“This is part of our community’s history, and our future, and this session is part of the way we prepare our students for the challenges and wonders of life beyond school.”