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Session E3: Early childhood learning

Session abstract

1. Anthea-Jo Taylor: Culture and the Classrooms: Indigenous Children's Connection with Mainstream Urban Early Childhood Education.

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Abstract

Data from an ongoing ethnographic project tracking Indigenous children's encounter with the early years of formal education are drawn on to consider key issues in practice and performance against a backdrop of the rhetoric of 'readiness' and a policy emphasis on earlier and earlier incorporation into education. An apparent historical gap in educational understanding of teaching and learning in Indigenous education is considered and it is suggested that more dots, dij and damper, or more of the same for longer periods of children's lives are likely to address the urgent need to assist many Indigenous children in urban schools reach their educational potential.

Author bio:

Dr Anthea Taylor has a background in education and anthropology and has worked in schools, post-secondary and university contexts in metropolitan and remote Western Australia.  She has researched and published in Aboriginal education and youth career decision-making and while holding an AIATSIS Visiting Research Fellowship (2005-2008) investigated Indigenous children's early years of schooling. She is currently located at Edith Cowan University.

2. Linda Ford; K. Guthadjaka; K. Whitburn; E. Lawurrpa; M. Liddy; M. Bangguna; T. Puruntatameri & Y. Atie: We look after our little ones as Aboriginal Early Childhood Practitioners.

Full paper | Audio | Video | Slideshow

Abstract

These eight Indigenous women make up the panel of practitioners involved in Indigenous Early Childhood in the Northern Territory. They discuss the significance of their contributions to urban contemporary life for our little ones. The Indigenous Early Childhood area has little emphasis on it in terms of funding Aboriginal Early Childhood experts to focus on the importance of family during the early developmental stages for young Indigenous children from 0 – 8 years of age. Their connections and reconnections to Indigenous Early Childhood practitioners, their extended families and communities of families in town settings is discussed by the eight panel members. The title of our presentation is “Aboriginal Early Childhood Practitioners looking after our little ones”. The presenters unveil the multiple layers of Aboriginal families and their little ones operating in town settings and how languages, kinship, heritage, cultural values and beliefs underpin their lives. We wish to acknowledge The Australian Research Council - Indigenous Discovery (ARCIRD) project: ‘Bringing Indigenous Knowledge into Early Childhood Settings’ and AIATSIS who sponsored eight of the nine senior women presentation at the 2009 AIATSIS conference.

Author bios:

Dr Payi Linda Ford is a senior Rak  Mak Mak Marranunggu woman, whose country is Kurrindju, Northern Territory. She was born at Batchelor in the Northern Territory and educated in the bush and in Australian education institutions in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria.  Dr Payi Linda Ford is the Chief Investigator of the ARCIRD project ‘Bringing Indigenous Knowledge into Early Childhood Settings’ from 2007 – 2009. The Koonie Koonie and Delyek are Aboriginal women leaders in Indigenous Early Childhood areas and are totally committed to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, their families and on country from the Northern Territory.

Yilngi Atie is a Koonie Koonie for the Daly River and Wagait Aboriginal Land Trust region and a Senior Elder of the Rak Amiyingal and Rak Marithiel woman, whose country is Nganthawodi and Yentjalwar in the Northern Territory. She was born at the old 22 Mile billabong near Wishart Railway Line Siding and educated in the bush in an Australian school at Batchelor in the Northern Territory. Her cultural responsibilities include her custodial obligation to look after her country and extends to include providing stewardship to guide her daughter-niece Dr Payi Linda Ford with her research project on including Aboriginal knowledge about Indigenous Early Childhood. Koonie Koonie Yilngi now lives in Palmerston where she cares for her grandchildren.

Teresita Puruntatimeri is a senior Tiwi woman, whose country is Nguiu, Northern Territory. She was born Nguiu and educated at an Australian Catholic Mission school at Nguiu in the Northern Territory. As an Ex-Principal of Nguiu Primary School she offers expert advice on how to include songs, dance and ceremonies through ancient story telling as a way to integrate Indigenous knowledge into core business of looking after her little ones. She now lives in Nguiu where she cares for her Tiwi children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and provides leadership to young families especially young mothers. She guides her niece-niece Dr Payi Linda Ford with her research projects on including Aboriginal knowledge about Indigenous Early Childhood.

Elaine Lawruppa is a senior Yolngu woman, whose country is Elcho Island, Northern Territory. She was born and educated in the bush at Elcho Island in the Northern Territory. She now lives in Elcho Island where she cares for her children and grandchildren where she works closely with Kathy Guthadjaka. She guides her daughter-niece Dr Payi Linda Ford with her research projects on including Aboriginal knowledge about Indigenous Early Childhood.

K. Guthadjaka as written for the purpose of her AIATSIS presentation with E. Lawruppa in her absences due to unforseen circumstance and wishes to share her story below …

I’ve spent most of my life looking after children.  Some were my own children, some my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Others were other people’s grandchildren and some were children with problems at school.

In 1991 my husband, Colin and I moved out from Galiwinku to establish a new Homeland Centre and school at Gawa.  At that time I was still teaching with the NT Department of Education at Shepherdson College, where I put in some 30 years of teaching.  I retired from the NT Teaching Service at the end of 2002.

In 2003, we made new arrangements for education at Gawa by partnering with the Northern Territory Christian Schools Association and cutting ties with Shepherdson College.

With the arrival of good, dedicated full-time teaching staff and the Gawa Christian School, I have been able to focus my attention on preserving Warramiri language and history.  Of course, my aim is always towards the benefit of our children.

Over the years we have kept and presented a clear vision to coming generations.  Now I am watching for young people who have learned the vision and want to run with it.  Helping these will probably be my final contribution to the future of my people.

Without vision the people are perishing, but not all will perish…some will run with the vision.  

Mary Liddy is a senior Wagaman woman, whose country is on the Upper Daly Aboriginal Land Trust, Northern Territory. She was born and educated in the bush and in Australian schools in the Northern Territory. She now lives in Katherine and is the manager of the Katherine Early Childhood Mobile Unit. In her current role she cares for her family and extended family. She guides her cousin-cousin Dr Payi Linda Ford with her research projects on including Aboriginal knowledge about Indigenous Early Childhood.

Hi, my name is Mary Liddy, a bush born baby at Claravale Station, in Pine Creek Northern Territory.  My mother was a traditional Wagaman lady from Daly River, but raised in the Pine Creek area during the stolen generation time.  Fortunate for her she was not taken away and was taught all the traditional ways including the language and culture, and stories of significant dreaming sites on our land.

I have been a teacher for the past 35 years, I have a Batchelor of Education and a Graduate diploma in Adult Education and most of my teaching has been in the Early Years teaching Pre-school to Grade 3.  I also did 5.5 years at Batchelor Institute as a lecturer in Early Childhood.

I am currently employed with the Department of Education and Training within Katherine Group School and am the Mobile Pre-school Teacher for the remote schools.  My job is to travel out to remote communities and set up pre-school sites at the schools for 3 and 4 year old in that community.  A local member of the community runs the program on a daily basis and I provide a quality educational program in boxes, providing all the resources required to deliver the program.  I also provide training for all the Assistant Teachers who deliver the program, whether it is on site or they are brought into Katherine to attend profession development provided by DET.

Mavis Bangguna is a senior Djinang  whose country is Raminginni. Mavis is married to a traditional Njebbena landowner from Maningrida. She was born and educated in the bush and in an Australian school at Manangrida in the Northern Territory. She now lives in Manangrida where she works at school as an Assistant Teacher and focussing on caring for Aboriginal children. She also guides her friend Dr Payi Linda Ford with her research projects on including Aboriginal knowledge about Indigenous Early Childhood.

Nalwarri Ngurruwutthun is from the Clan: Munyuku woman and a senior Dhuwala 
speaker, whose country is Rurra\ala  near Yirrkala, Northern Territory. She was born and educated in the bush and in an Australian school at Yirrkala in the Northern Territory. She now lives in Yirrkala where she works as a senior cultural officer for the Northern Territory government. She cares for her children, grandchildren and guides her friend Dr Payi Linda Ford with her research projects on including Aboriginal knowledge.

I worked at Yirrkala for almost 35 years. I've taught in all areas school, from Preschool to secondary age students. I was a Classroom teacher, a Senior  teacher in all areas of the section , and a Senior teacher at Homelands Schools and also the ex-Principal in both schools Yirrkala CEC and Yirrkala Homeland Schools.
In 1975 when I first started teaching, I taught the early childhood centre. The lesson was taught in yolngu matha which was call Dhuwaya. The Senior Elders at Yirrkala said they wanted the yolngu kids to learn their own language before learning English as a second language. I was also involved in Galtha Rom workshop at Yirrkala and Lanyapuy Homeland with all the yolngu students with the involvement of Senior Elders and community members.
All yolngu at Yirrkala and Yirrkala Homelands Centres have their own clan languages, ceremonies, songs, land, dreamings and dance. Children learn to speak baby language before they speak their own fathers language. I have more stories to put on this paper but I can leave it now and maybe tell more of my classroom experience when we are in Canberra.

Kim Whitburn is a Tiwi woman, whose country is Tiwi, Northern Territory. She was born and educated in Australian schools in the Northern Territory. She now lives in Palmerston where she works for Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) and teaches about how to care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families.

She is supporting her aunty-cousin Dr Payi Linda Ford with her research projects on including Aboriginal knowledge about Indigenous Early Childhood and organisation e.g. SNAICC. BIITE and RRACSSU.