TRADITIONAL fire-making and taste-testing bush tucker were just two of the activities 27 Year 10 students from Southern Cross Catholic College (SCCC), Scarborough, undertook during their recent Indigenous immersion.
Students engaged in a broad range of cultural learning experiences during their three-day trip to Cherbourg and Murgon communities.
They were immersed in local historical knowledge.
Support teacher for inclusive education Mary McMurtrie said elders Uncle Eric and Aunty Shirley Law spent time with the students sharing stories of their own personal experiences growing up in Cherbourg.
Ms McMurtrie said they also spoke of the historical significance of a number of community landmarks including the surrounding country, the Cherbourg Ration Shed and One Tree Hill, Barambah.
She said students stayed in dormitory accommodation at the Barambah Environmental Education Centre and enjoyed a range of activities.
These included “campfire yarning circles; learning about the land, traditions and pathways; collecting and taste-testing bush tucker; creating stories through art with Niketa Law; traditional fire-making; hunting; bushwalking; shelter-making; and the importance of caring and giving back to Country”.
College minister and Lasallian facilitator Phillip McGreevy said the immersion was a wonderful experience for staff and students.
“It helped me understand more fully the past, present and future reality for Indigenous people here in south-east Queensland,” he said.
“It reminded me about the importance of stories and how they teach us how to live today and tomorrow.
“It is developing relationships with people like Uncle Eric and Aunty Shirley (Law) that we continue to move more fully down the path of reconciliation.”
