Australian Catholic Bishops Social Justice Statement - A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Workshop
On Monday the 4th of September three Year 7 students ( Ananya. S, Sahana. S and Rachel. A) attended a student social justice workshop run by the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong focused on the 'Australian Catholic Bishops Social Justice Statement - A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples'. Here is the students' recount of their experience:
Our trip to the social justice workshop was at the Catholic Education Office located in Wollongong. It was a one-hour drive. On Dharwal land we got to look at some beautiful places, such as the ocean and the overgrown and lush trees. After we had arrived at the Catholic Education Office for the Diocese of Wollongong we commenced with a smoking ceremony. A smoking ceremony is an ancient Aboriginal custom in Australia that involves burning various native plants to produce smoke, which has cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits from the people and the land, and make a pathway for a brighter future, and promote the protection and well-being of visitors. It is usually performed at the beginning of a ceremony.
To acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we witnessed a dancing ritual performed by five Aboriginal students from John Therry Catholic College which was accompanied by a digeridoo performance. The John Therry Catholic College students performed the ‘Lyrebird Dance’. Dance in Aboriginal culture is a way to convey stories and messages about the land, animals, and ancestral spirits.
The next part of the day involved a keynote speaker presentation. The keynote speaker was Maddy Forde. Maddy shared her fierce passion and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their culture as a non-Indigenous woman and the work that she does in her home state of Adelaide. Maddy wants to make a difference for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people because she felt it was disheartening to see young people disconnected from their culture and people not embracing one of the oldest living cultures on the planet that is so vibrant and beautiful. Maddy inspired us to intentionally make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture visible in what we do in our current and future pursuits in life. She guaranteed us that although young, we did not have to feel as though we had to wait until we were older to make a difference. Maddy finished by exclaiming that the future is ours to make and that we are the leaders of today who will make this future bright and wonderful for everyone.
The workshop then focused on unpacking the 'Australian Catholic Bishops Social Justice Statement - A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' in mixed groups of students from the schools within the Diocese of Wollongong followed by a presentation and discussion of our future directions.
We look forward to intentionally making Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture more visible within our community.