A GROUP of indigenous students from St Peter Claver College, Riverview, have had a closer look at their heritage.
Sixteen of the college’s 60 indigenous students spent a week earlier this year at Murra Murra station, near Cunnamulla.
Murra Murra station is owned and operated by the people of the Kooma Aboriginal Nation, from where St Peter Claver College’s indigenous education officer Kargun Fogarty and his family originated.
College deputy principal Michael Nayler said Mr Fogarty and his family (Kooma traditional custodians) took the Year 8 to 12 students through a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony.
“This ceremony is designed to both welcome and connect people to the land they are visiting and pay respects to the traditional custodians,” Mr Nayler said.
“Over the six days, staff and students were privileged to experience culture (tens of thousands of years old) including (learning about) traditional medicine plants, stone grinding grooves, fish traps and wells, art and dance workshops, hunting and farming practices and Gunyah building.”
Mr Nayler said it was the college’s second trip to Murra Murra and its third indigenous cultural camp in the past few years.
He said the trip was about more than just students understanding their cultural heritage.
Mr Nayler said the knowledge, pride and experience developed through the camp translated into better attendance and performance in the classroom as was evidenced by St Peter Claver’s proud record of indigenous achievement.
“Attendance statistics for our indigenous students are the same as for non-indigenous students and indigenous students at (St) Peter Claver College are staying from 8-12 beyond the rate of non-indigenous students,” he said.
Mr Nayler said the highlight of the camp was when the St Peter Claver students danced with the traditional custodians on their corroboree ground.
“Silhouetted against an incredible outback sunset, the students’ cultural pride was palpable as they performed in front of the traditional gunyah they had built,” he said.
Mr Nayler said the college’s cultural department organised many cultural experiences for indigenous students throughout the year and was grateful to the Kooma elders and traditional custodians for sharing their rich cultural heritage with the St Peter Claver community.
