Ashleigh

Grech

Date: Before 1878

Artefact: Geyami- Spear Shield

S00129130

Use: Defence weapon, hunting tool

Materials: Ironwood, ochre, pipeclay

Location: South of Murray River, Victoria

Meaning: Token of strength and pride

to warriors- signifies cultural identity

Construction: The lower jaw of a possum

was used to engrave the wavy design. The
designs and incisions were completed when
the wood was fresh.

Ashleigh Grech

S00129130

Artefact (relevance to learning in the Primary Humanities classroom and beyond)

The Geyami spear shield has been selected as the artefact of focus for the teaching of Humanities
in the primary classroom. This artefact is directly associated with the historical context of Australia.
Shields were a conventional form of protection during the time of the European Settlement,
created and valued amongst Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders. This form of weaponry
was used to hunt food supplies and as a defence mechanism when conflict arose between the
settlers and Indigenous Australians. Shields are considered important for the defence of clan and
Country. They are made and used by warriors, who take up this role with strength and pride...they
convey stories and declare the owners totemic connections and clan affiliations (Bunjilaka
Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Melbourne Museum, 2015).

Ultimately, shields are considered to signify cultural identity. They encapsulate the beliefs, values
and customs upheld by those who created and used the armour. By incorporating this cultural
totem as an area of focus, students will extend their knowledge and appreciation for the diverse
Indigenous culture. Further, students will develop their cultural awareness. This being said,
students will familiarise themselves with the traditions and ideals present in the Indigenous culture.
The underlying custom of this culture is to unite ancestors and other members of the clan across
generations. This is achieved by passing on values, beliefs, stories and totems, such as this spear
shield. Members of the clan attain a sense of connectedness by commemorating these attributes of
cultural significance.




Links to relevant AusVELS curriculum


The Geyami Spear Shield is a totem belonging to the Indigenous Australians who were subject to
mistreatment and discrimination during the time of the European Settlement. This content is
aligned with the Australian History Curriculum, which is implemented from years three to six.
The History component of the Humanities curriculum identifies a topic for each year level
associated with Historical Knowledge and Understanding, beginning from year three, these are:
Community and Remembrance, First Contacts, The Australian Colonies, and, Australia as a Nation.

Ashleigh Grech

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The artefact is relevant to the teaching of all of these topics; however, this artefact will be
incorporated at a year four level as part of the First Contacts area of study. AusVELS (2015)
identifies the diversity and longevity of Australias first peoples and the ways Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander peoples are connected to Country and Place and the implications for their
daily lives (ACHHK077) as a content knowledge and understanding description. The elaborations of
this descriptor are explicitly associated with the significance of the Geyami Spear Shield as a
learning resource. These refer to studying totems in the lives of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander Peoples and examining the differences between their totems, and understanding their
sense of the interconnectedness of Country/Place, People, Culture and Identity.

By incorporating the Geyami Spear Shield as a learning resource in primary Humanities, students
have the opportunity to engage with the historical context and cultural significance of the totem.
They will examine the impact of European exploration and colonisation, and how these experiences
contributed to change in society and cultural diversity (Australian Curriculum Assessment and
Reporting Authority, 2015).


Devise a set of questions you would pose to students about this artefact to engage them and to
encourage critical inquiry, and justify your question choice.


Question-to-promote-critical-inquiry
Justification
Students will develop the following skills

Understanding: Developing-the-knowledge
and-skills-necessary-to-discuss-and-explain
information-relating-to-this-content-area.
Remember: Describing-specific-information
in-relation-to-the-content.
Apply: Using-appropriate-strategies,
concepts-and-theories-to-support
information-recalled.
Analyse: Further-breaking-the-information
down-to-critically-analyse-the-components-
deconstructing-and-comparing.
Evaluating: Judging-the-value-of-ideas;
critiquing-evidence.
Create: Gathering-elements-to-develop-an

Ashleigh Grech

S00129130
idea-and-critically-engage-in-designing-a
totem-of-significance (Blooms Revised
Taxonomy, adapted from Giesen, 2009).

How-did-European-Settlement-impact
Indigenous-culture?

How-was-life-for-Indigenous-people-prior-to
European-Settlement?

What-is-the-significance-of-totems-to
Indigenous-culture?

What-would-you-consider-a-totem-of-cultural
significance-to-your-family?
How-are-the-customs-of-the-Indigenous-culture
significant-to-the-concept-of-unity?

How-would-you-define-the-customs-of-your
culture?

What-was-the-nature-of-contact-between
European-Settlers-and-Aboriginal-and/or-Torres
Strait-Islanders?

How-has-society-changed? What-has-remained-
the-same-since First Contact, and-what-has
changed?


Word Count: 590

Finding Out: Using-skills, such-as-research,
to-extend-current-knowledge-and-challenge
beliefs, ideas-and-values.
Going further: Students-will-investigate
areas-of-personal-interest.
Sorting Out: Sorting-through-and-presenting
relevant-information (Wilson & Wing Jan,
2003).

Understanding
Finding-Out
Remember
Apply
Finding-Out
Apply
Analyse
Create
Going-further
Understanding
Apply
Sorting-Out
Going-Further
Analyse
Going-Further
Evaluating
Apply
Analyse
Reflection

Ashleigh Grech

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References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2015). Humanities and Social Sciences
Curriculum- History. Retrieved from
http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/humanities-and-social-sciences/history/curriculum/f-
10?layout=1#level4

Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre, Melbourne Museum. Visited 16/4/15


Giesen, J. (2009). Blooms revised taxonomy, from
http://www.niu.edu/facdev/programs/handouts/blooms.shtml

Museumvictoria.com.au,. (2015). First Peoples: Bunjilaka. Retrieved 18 April 2015, from
http://museumvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka/visiting/first-peoples/


Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2015) AusVELS: The Humanities- History. Retrieved
from http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/The-Humanities-History/Overview/Rationale-and-Aims


Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2015) AusVELS Level 4: The Humanities- History.
Retrieved from http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level4?layout=1&d=H


Wilson, J., & Wing Jan, L. (2003). Focus on inquiry. Carlton, South Victoria: Curriculum Corporation.