On Thursday we opened our school year with a smoking ceremony lead by Shaun Braybrook from Wulgunggo Ngalu. Each year we are privileged to be able to welcome an incredible group of young men to our school who share with us their culture, and their connection to mob, land, and country. They do this with pride, instilling in us a renewed respect for the little things, that are in fact big, including the importance of family, the respect of elders, the importance of protecting and looking after the youngest and most vulnerable in the tribe.
In our tribe the elders are our Year 12 students, who were all gifted with a necklace fashioned out of a gumnut and emu feathers. These were made by made by Trent, and handed out as part of the ceremony, signifying their place as elders within our community. The most vulnerable members of our tribe are the incoming Year 7 students. Shaun placed these students at the very centre of the ceremonial circles.
The lessons that Shaun and his fellow dancers impart are simple and complex. Simple, because they make sense. They connect us all to what is important, the land and each other, the belief that we can all make a positive contribution, and make the world a better, more empathetic space, by looking after our young people and providing positive role models for them. And complex, because we have lost sight of how important these things our in our digitally driven, increasingly insular and insecure world.
So, our goal this year will be to continue to embrace the importance of connection to land and tribe, and to look at for all those who enter our sphere of influence.
