TRANSCRIPT
A traditional Indigenous smoking ceremony at a school in Sydney.
Maddy is a Year 12 student at Bede Polding College where what's known as Indigenous Cultural Immersion training is taking place.
"We have over 100 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids here in Windsor at Bede Polding college. And you know, to have this experience in the Hawkesbury has just been so beautiful and just even a smoking ceremony having Uncle John here, or the uncles and aunties here really is passing on that knowledge. We have here some of the kids doing some wonderful art and to pass that on through the generations has been really beautiful."
A total of 115 Indigenous and non-Indigenous students from four Hawkesbury primary schools have participated in the training, which includes activities such as dance, music weaving and art.
Uncle Brendan Moore is presenting some of the training - which he says is about transferring knowledge.
"This is something that what Aboriginal people have been doing for thousands of years. In our cultural practices isn't alive unless we're practicing it, and we're passing it on. So what we witnessed today is our youth our younger generation, go for smoking ceremony and the reasons why they do it. They took control by grabbing the leaf putting it for smoking and milking them themselves. It's a very powerful thing to do that culturally, but also for the within themselves. And today I'm here to practice culture by transferring one knowledge about cultural knowledge on native plants and Aboriginal uses."
Cultural Immersion as a learning activity provides students with the opportunity to experience another culture in a safe and accessible way.
Bede Polding Principal Mark Compton says it's an opportunity for the school and to support young Indigenous people to understand and identify with their cultural background.
It also gives non-Indigenous students an understanding of First Nations cultural practices.
"So I think any opportunity that we as educators can do to really foster and promote that has to be a good thing. And just to see young people the joy and enthusiasm with which they are embracing the day is heartwarming."
Corben is a student at Chisholm Catholic Primary Bligh Park - and one of those participating.
"We have had so much fun. And there's an I'm so glad that I get to share my culture with like other students from different schools. And we were we were actually wanted by different bushes, different plants. We even did a smoking ceremony at the start and it just has been amazing."
