Aboriginal Wetland

 

  collections_Indigenous

Resource title: Aboriginal wetland burning in Kakadu, 2005 – part 1 of 3

Digital resource identifier: R9851

Resource description
Cross-generational sharing of Indigenous traditional knowledge in the Kakadu wetlands is seen in this clip. A Kakadu traditional owner describes her role as a messenger passing on her mother's knowledge to her daughter about the importance of wetland burning to the environment.

Stage of schooling: Lower Primary

CCE focus: Citizenship in a Democracy

Context
This resource provides a vehicle for discussing the importance of sharing traditional knowledge and values. Students can consider the importance of this knowledge in the forming of identity. They can discuss how groups maintain their traditional values and traditions as well as those of modern Australia.

Opportunities for Civics and Citizenship learning

‘Aboriginal wetland burning in Kakadu, 2005 – part 1 of 3’ provides opportunities for students to:

  • recognise the importance of sharing Indigenous knowledge in the Indigenous community

  • identify ways that Indigenous peoples share their knowledge and traditions

  • reflect on the importance of sharing traditions and knowledge in developing an identity

  • consider the ways in which family knowledge can be shared.

Ideas for the classroom

  • Show the video clip to students, then organise them into small groups and ask them to write down on a piece of paper what they have learnt from the video clip. Ask them to share these comments with the class.

  • Ask students, in their groups, to identify and discuss the ways in which families pass on important information from the past, what this information might relate to and why families might want to pass this information on.

  • Ask students to ‘pair and share’ information that has been passed on to them by members of their own family and how this information was shared.

  • Ask students to identify one example of family knowledge they feel is important to pass on to other family members and discuss why. Ask them to share this with the class.