Reconciliation funding
Oral histories, gardens, murals, concerts, cooking, football, exhibits, music and all sorts of other projects make up 2009's Reconciliation efforts.
In April the Department of Indigenous Affairs advertised its Reconciliation Grants for up to $20,000, a considerable increase on previous years.
Community groups from all around Western Australia submitted entries.
Of the 70 applications received, 17 were successful with either part or full funding of between $2460 and $19,500.
The grants are for projects that promote acceptance and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and show significant leadership in reconciliation and strong symbolic value.
The $160,350 has been distributed between the metropolitan, Southern, Murchison, Goldfields, Pilbara, West Kimberley and East Kimberley regions.
The grants
Dawson Park Primary School – held Reconciliation Week celebrations with two other Forrestfield primary schools in which Noongar Elders toured classrooms teaching language and telling stories, and a dance group ran workshops and performed for the school communities.
Palmyra Primary School – is running a series of events and activities that build on its Acknowledgement of Country commitment made in Term 1. The students will learn about the six Noongar seasons and use this knowledge when they plant a bush tucker garden. They will be building a relationship with the Moorditj Noongar Community School in Middle Swan through activities like building and flying Reconciliation kites, learning songs and dance and painting totem poles.
Jacaranda community Centre – will be working with Indigenous students at Belmont City College to collect historical information, including photographs, artworks and oral history from Indigenous people from the area. The material gathered will be collated into a book.
Maddington Education Support Centre – will be working with an artist to design and paint a huge Reconciliation mural depicting understanding and tolerance and local Indigenous history, heritage and culture. The mural will complement the work the students have recently completed on their community garden.
Northern Cobras Junior Football Club – has hosted a Dreamtime round of junior football. With East Perth and Subiaco Districts junior football clubs attending, the round showed that people from all cultures can work together in a safe and environment.
Fremantle Environmental Resource Network – organised a mixed cultural cook up that brought people from Chilean, African, Portuguese, Italian backgrounds along with local Indigenous people, primary students and the Fremantle community for an afternoon of music, dance, storytelling and food.
CY O’Connor College of TAFE, Moora – will hold a three-day community event around a project to create a heritage walking trail, seating and a plaque in the Moora area.
Shire of Boddington – will work with three other shires to create a tourist trail along the Hotham River, which will include interpretive signs at points of interest and Indigenous historical importance.
Georgiana Molloy Anglican School – will work with other schools in the area along with local Indigenous groups to run a series of events and activities including and Art and Artists Week, excursions, learning the Noongar language, storytelling and including these stories in a book, cooking bush foods and putting together an exhibition.
John Willcock College – students will be creating a huge mural made up of mosaic tiles exploring the history of the Geraldton area and stories of the Indigenous population.
Bundiyarra Aboriginal Community Corporation – will produce an exhibition for the Western Australian Museum in Geraldton for UNESCO’s 2008 International Year of Language.
North Kalgoorlie Primary School – students will be planning and planting a cultural garden for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, their families and community members to meet in, tell stories, play music and learn about other cultures.
Christian Brothers’ College and Iona Presentation College – will continue their Kiwirrkurra Cross Cultural Dreaming project where students will be building shade shelters in the community and helping with numeracy and literacy tutoring.
Mowanjum Artists Spirit of the Wandjina Aboriginal Corporation – will be putting the 2008 Mowanjum Festival during NAIDOC week with music, dance, food, art and storytelling.
Broome Aboriginal Media Association – will be organising a Mardi Gras as the culmination of the Kullarri NAIDOC Festival in Broome in July.
One Arm Point Remote Community School – will be continuing its very successful Bardi Cultural program which teaches students traditional skills, history and heritage and includes creating a cultural museum at the school with the help of community members.
Halls Creek District High School – will involve the whole community in a program of music workshops and performances with Djiva, an Indigenous rock band. The school hopes this will lead to the establishment of a Kimberley Indigenous Music Festival.