Yuma! Did you know our Indigenous students meet regularly as Culture Club to explore and celebrate First Nations ways of knowing, being and doing? Here is a little snapshot as to what we get up to!

Term 3 has been our busiest term to date with much to celebrate regarding First Nations Education. In week one, our Indigenous students were invited to play a special role in the NAIDOC Week Mass at the Cathedral by reading the prayers of intercession. Each student read beautifully and reverently while considering this year’s theme Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud. After Mass, our students also had the opportunity to meet Archbishop Christopher and Director of Catholic Education , Ross Fox.

During the term we continued to share our learning of Aboriginal culture with Ngunnawal Word of the Fortnight. During Culture Club we have researched Ngunnawal words that we can use in every day conversations that connect us to the ancient voices of this land and open up insightful learnings around language, culture and place. Here is a list of the Ngunnawal words Culture Club have learned and shared so far:

Hello – Yuma

Goodbye – Yara

How are you? - Yadhung gadba?

Good – Yadung

Bad – Gadba

Thank you – Dhjan yimaba

Welcome – Yumalundi

The final word for term 3 is our first footstep:

Respect – Yindumara.

Last week some of our students also joined other students from all around Canberra at the Corrobboree Family and Culture Day at the University of Canberra. Organised by the Indigenous Education Advisory Committee it was the first whole of ACT event learning about the richness and diversity of Indigenous cultures and deepening connections with community.

In exciting news we have a very special guest on the first day of term 4. Mitch Tambo will be performing for the whole school! Mitch rose to stardom with his interpretation of John Farnham’s You’re the Voice during the final of Australia’s Got Talent. His arrangement of Indigenous music with modern beats and Aussie anthems is captivating. Check out Mitch’s music!

Dhjan yimaba yara!

(Thank you and goodbye in Ngunnawal language).