GRADE 7 INTERVIEW WITH AN ABORIGINAL IN AUSTRALIA 23.11.2017

As part of the unit on ‘Cultures, Traditions and Places’ Grade 7 students studied the Aboriginal people of Australia. They researched aspects of Aborigine culture like their music, dances and beliefs. After all the students had the amazing opportunity to speak face to face on Skype to an aboriginal lady called Lynne Thomas live from Australia. The students asked insightful questions about the Aboriginal language she speaks, her beliefs about dreamtime and how Aboriginal traditions are passed on to future generations. Lynne showed us photographs of some sacred places in the area where she lives and explained how she and members of her family have been mistreated in the past because of being Aboriginal. When asked by one of the students what she thought should be done to make things that happened in the past right, she replied ‘It is important to for each of us to understand that we are the same. We all have 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 legs. This is what will help heal the wounds of the past and help us move forward’. We hope that the experience of talking to someone from another culture has helped the Grade 7s grow in their understanding and appreciation of others.