Our Nations First Peoples

At St Alipius we believe in celebrating diversity and creating a rich community that reflects the fabric of our society. It is our priority to ensure that the story of the First Peoples of Australia is a current reality in our school and is woven through each area of the curriculum. 

Whilst studying about the way that the Australian Government works and how policies are made the Year 5/6s explored policies and actions that impacted on First Australians: the concept of Terra Nullius, The White Australia Policy, The Assimilation Policy, The Aboriginal Protection Act, the 1967 Referendum to change the Constitution allowing Aboriginal people to be counted in a census and to vote, Kevin Rudd’s Apology. They explored how many past Australian policies were aimed at making Aboriginal people invisible. 

Students were able to identify that Jesus acknowledged people who were pushed to the side - Blind Bartimaeus, Zaccheus, The Woman at the Well, The Lepers, The poor, the Samaritans...They could see that acknowledging our First People is a Jesus action. 

The students then went on to explore the concept of ‘Acknowledging Traditional Custodians’ and to write their own acknowledgements. 
This is a prime example of RE, Civics and Citizenship and English being taught in unison along with a huge focus on the 4 Learning Capabilities and the Cross Curriculum Priority of Learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.

Some examples of the Acknowledgements they wrote are included on this page (see files on the right).