Assignment)3:)Site)Visit)and)Analysis)

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Option)2:)!750!words!(equivalent)!mini!essay!plus!learning!activity!(The!purpose!of!this!learning!
activity!is!to!extend!the!learning!experience!of!the!group!as!they!visit!the!same!site!as!you.!Your!
learning!activity!should!help!them!engage!with!the!full!range!of!important!ideas,!issues!and!concepts!
displayed!at!the!site!you!visited.!The!mini!essay!is!supposed!to!be!a!resource!for!the!person!leading!
this!activity!!so!you!should!be!able!to!give!your!mini!essay!and!your!learning!activity!to!any!educator!
and!they!should!have!enough!information!to!conduct!the!activity.!You!need!to!explain!the!significance!
of!the!aspects!of!the!site!explored!in!the!activity,!and!you!should!do!this!with!reference!to!HIST106!
course!materials).!
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Mini)essay)
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The!booklet,!Exploring!the!Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre!and!First!People!offers!students!an!
introduction!to!the!Indigenous!culture!of!Australia!parallel!with!two!exhibits!at!the!Melbourne!
Museum,!the!Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre!and!First!People.!The!questions!in!the!booklet!
encourage!students!to!recognize!the!existence!of!Aboriginal!people,!their!language,!stories,!culture,!
history,!family!and!their!Country.!Students!will!additionally!recognize!how!these!elements!entwined!
can!establish!and!complete!an!individuals!identity.!The!booklet!is!aimed!at!year!6!students!and!can!
also!be!used!with!EAL!learners!too.!A!class!can!be!divided!into!groups!of!four!or!five!students.!
Students!will!then!interchange!to!each!area!of!the!exhibit.!
!
Bunjilaka!is!the!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre!founded!to!inspire!Aboriginal!people!to!unravel!their!own!
cultural!legacy!for!both!Indigenous!and!nonVIndigenous!people.!The!Welcome!Rug!is!a!symbolic!
feature!of!Bunjilaka.!It!was!created!to!offer!a!center!point!for!welcoming!guests!to!the!Centre.!The!rug!
urges!students!to!think!allegorically!with!the!design!symbolizing!the!pathways!that!people!take!to!
congregate!for!rituals!(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre,!2013).!Learning!about!the!significance!of!
the!Welcome!Rug!encourages!students!to!understand!culture!through!the!different!modes!that!
Aboriginal!people!believed!in.!This!includes:!learning!culture!by!connecting!through!the!stories!they!
share,!sharing!knowledge!through!art!and!objects!and!putting!different!ideas!together!to!create,!
which!is!evident!in!both!these!learning!undertakings!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!2:!Aboriginal!&!Torres!
Strait!Islander!Perspectives).!
!
The!Naghlingah!Boorais:!Beautiful!Children!exhibit!was!created!with!the!help!of!children!to!promote!a!
sense!of!selfVimportance!in!and!understanding!of!their!cultural!identity!and!to!grasp!their!own!part!in!
passing!on!this!information!(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre,!2013).!The!exhibit!gave!children!the!

chance!to!connect!with!Elders!while!acquiring!and!contributing!in!their!own!culture!in!ways!that!are!
significant!to!them.!Aboriginal!people!believed!culture!shapes!their!experiences!of!the!world,!
environment,!family!life,!communities!and!lifestyle!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!2:!Aboriginal!&!Torres!
Strait!Islander!Perspectives).!The!Indigenous!community!learn!culture!through!connections!in!stories,!
the!way!they!make!and!share!without!words,!sharing!knowledge!with!art!and!objects!and!putting!
different!ideas!together!and!creating!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!2:!Aboriginal!&!Torres!Strait!Islander!
Perspectives).!By!students!exploring!Beautiful!Children!they!will!learn!how!important!it!is!for!
Aboriginal!children!to!strengthen!cultural!awareness,!identity!and!connection!to!community!as!their!
soul!is!shaped!and!subsequently!upkeeps!them!to!feel!strong!and!proud!in!who!they!are!(Bunjilaka!
Aboriginal!Culture!Center,!2013).!As!the!children!created!the!cloaks,!they!absorbed!stories!from!the!
Elders!of!their!descendants.!Students!will!learn!that!Aboriginal!peoples!respect!for!elders!is!based!on!
their!benevolence!and!understanding!of!outer!and!inner!directed!knowledge!and!connection!
(HIST106!Lecture!Week!2:!Aboriginal!&!Torres!Strait!Islander!Perspectives).!The!story!of!the!possum!
skin!cloaks!will!allow!students!to!appreciate!how!the!interconnected!nature!of!Aboriginal!culture!
shapes!the!way!history!can!be!told!and!that!there!is!vast!diversity!across!Indigenous!Australia!
(HIST106!Lecture!Week!3:!The!Myth!of!Peaceful!Settlement).!
!
Aboriginal!people!have!their!own!identity,!which!is!shared!with!Aboriginal!people!throughout!
Australia.!Identity!for!Aboriginal!people!encompasses!three!things:!you!as!a!person,!what!you!believe!
and!value!and!how!you!interact!with!others!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!7:!Child!Removal).!The!marking!
on!the!cloaks!illustrates!the!owners!life,!spirit!and!country!and!furthermore!their!individuality!
(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre,!2013).!The!cloak!also!focuses!on!the!role!of!the!family,!teaching!
in!cultural!matters!and!knowledge!of!the!environment!involving!land,!seas!and!skies!(HIST106!Lecture!
Week!7:!Child!Removal).!
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In!the!Deep!Listening!space,!Koorie!people!amongst!the!ages!of!8!and!72!voice!about!their!culture,!
Country,!families,!identity!and!how!they!all!interlock!(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre,!2013).!They!
share!private,!moving!stories!of!strength!and!pride.!This!space!urges!students!to!reflect!on!what!a!
persons!identity!is,!what!they!believe!makes!them!who!they!are!and!how!identity!can!involve!
different!factors!all!interrelated.!They!will!also!uncover!the!value!of!culture!midst!Aboriginal!people!
and!how!it!is!counterpart!to!identity.!Eileen!Albert!accentuates!the!importance!of!passing!down!
knowledge!about!the!culture!of!Aboriginal!people!to!future!Indigenous!and!nonVIndigenous!people!
(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre,!2013).!Len!Tregonning!will!introduce!students!to!more!
recognizable!terms!like,!missionVbreed,!stolen!generation,!assimilation!and!referendum.!Both!
Eileen!and!Len!speak!about!the!heartache!and!inequality!journey!that!them!and!their!families!went!
through!and!the!meaning!of!staying!together!as!a!family.!The!both!of!them!strive!to!educate!nonV
Aboriginal!people!about!their!history!and!the!uniqueness!of!it,!plus!the!significance!of!it!in!Australian!
history.!

The!Deep!Learning!Space!clarifies!the!way!in!which!the!whole!and!interrelated!nature!of!the!
Aboriginal!culture!shapes!the!way!history!can!be!told!and!the!centrality!of!land!to!Aboriginal!people!
and!culture!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!3:!The!Myth!of!Peaceful!Settlement).!Eileen!and!Len!also!give!an!
insight!of!the!differences!between!seeing!Indigenous!people!as!equals!and!believing!they!had!no!
human!right!to!certain!basic!freedom!in!regards!to!life!on!mission!and!reserve,!furthermore!the!
difficulties!for!Indigenous!people!to!protect!the!Aboriginal!culture!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!4:!
Humanitarianism!or!Control?!Protection,!Missions!and!Reserves).!Additionally,!the!ways!in!which!
Australian!society!positioned!Aboriginal!people!leading!to!struggles!for!Australian!Indigenous!Civil!
Rights!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!8:!Civil!Rights!the!Fight!for!Equality).!Students!will!hear!Len!describe!his!
experiences!of!assimilation!and!how!cultural!assimilation!assumed!Aboriginal!people!should!adopt!
the!Australian!way!of!life!consequently!disconnecting!from!their!culture!or!kin!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!
6:!Assimilation,!Suppressing!and!Controlling!Aboriginal!Australians).!He!also!explains!how!
Aboriginality!was!based!on!physical!appearance!similar!to!what!Dennis!Foley!writes!about!in!Too!
White!to!be!Black,!Too!Black!to!be!White.!Issues!on!the!Stolen!Generation!are!also!presented!and!
students!hear!about!incidents!of!the!ruthless!practices!to!force!Indigenous!people!to!forget!their!own!
history!and!struggle!of!the!difficulties!to!forget!injustices!that!tested!the!nations!history!and!identity!
(Haebich,!2011,!p.!1044).!
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Wominjeka!is!the!Welcome!area!of!the!exhibition!where!students!are!presented!to!the!assorted!
languages!of!Victorian!Aboriginal!people!(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Center,!2013).!This!area!focuses!
on!the!connection!between!language!and!identity.!The!language!map!highlights!the!Indigenous!
communities!dream!for!children!to!become!bilingual!speakers!and!the!commitment!to!reinforcing!
language!and!culture!in!todays!education!(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre,!2013).!The!concept!of!
the!questions!corresponding!with!the!display!is!for!students!to!understand!that!reconciliation!
between!the!Aboriginal!Community!and!Australians!is!about!preserving!the!connection!concerning!
Aboriginal!people!and!their!ancestral!language!with!their!ancestral!land!(Pearson,!2013,!p.!16).!
Students!can!make!the!deep!connection!between!this!activity!to!the!article,!Indigenous!Pupils!Relish!
Lessons!in!Heritage!Minister,!where!Tony!Burke!stresses!that,!language!is!central!to!the!practice!
and!continuation!of!culture!in!preserving!Indigenous!languagesensures!that!culture,!concepts!and!
values!remain!part!of!Australia!forever!(Pearson,!2013,!p.!16).!
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Generations!is!an!interactive!area!of!First!People!where!students!can!listen!to!people!across!Victoria!
share! stories! of! resilience,! culture! and! family! (Bunjilaka! Aboriginal! Center,! 2013).! The! big! touch!
screens! feature! stories! that! have! been! handed! from! generations! with! a! collection! of! historic! and!
contemporary! pictures.! Students! are! asked! specifically! to! unearth! Kevin! Coombs! story.! Indigenous!
groups!across!Australia!have!many!oral!stories!about!their!past.!Students!of!today!must!understand!
that!these!stories!form!part!of!a!Great!Tradition!of!knowledge!and!that!these!narratives!explain!the!
Aboriginal! genesis! in! different! parts! of! the! country! (Broome,! 2010,! p.! 5).! Coombs! speaks! about! the!

importance! of! knowing! where! you! are! from! and! the! significance! of! family.! Particularly,! within! an!
Indigenous! community! as! you! are! regularly! asked! questions! in! respects! to! your! family! (Bunjilaka!
Aboriginal! Culture! Centre,! 2013).! The! activity! created! for! the! exhibit! supports! students! to! reflect!
about!family!and!how!it!shapes!their!identity.!Students!should!make!the!connection!between!Coombs!
comments!about!family!and!their!own.!
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The! exhibit! displays! the! story! of! William! Cooper.! With! students! learning! about! William! they! will!
understand! how! passionate! he! was! in! eliminating! the! misconception! that! there! is! an! incongruity!
between! Aboriginal! people! and! language! plus! efforts! of! integrating! into! the! globalized! world!
(Pearson,! 2013,! p.! 16).! Coopers! story! demonstrates! great! strength! and! spirit! within! the! Aboriginal!
community! and! his! determination! of! propositioning! a! member! of! Parliament! in! the! person! of! their!
own!kind,!going!against!the!call!to!forget!the!wrongs!caused!to!the!Indigenous!community!will!create!
political!unity!and!an!equal!civilization!(Haebich,!2011,!p.!11).!
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Our!Story!is!an!area!that!shows!visitors!the!accounts!of!the!history!and!culture!of!Victorias!first!
people,!from!Creation!to!the!present!day.!The!exhibit!features!stories!of!strength,!customs!and!
regulations!all!dating!before!and!after!the!arrival!of!Europeans.!This!space!commemorates!the!
success!of!Aboriginal!people!in!the!modernVday!(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Centre,!2013).!The!
activity!organized!for!this!part!of!the!museum!will!teach!students!about!the!story!of!Bunjil!and!the!
deep!connection!between!Mount!William!and!the!story!of!the!Seven!Sisters.!From!this,!students!will!
see!how!the!Aboriginal!culture!shapes!their!experience!of!the!world,!environment,!family!life!and!life!
within!their!community!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!2:!Aboriginal!&!Torres!Strait!Islander!Perspectives).!
They!will!also!grasp!how!culture!can!be!learnt!through!connecting!through!the!stories,!pictures,!art!
and!by!putting!different!ideas!together!to!create!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!2:!Aboriginal!&!Torres!Strait!
Islander!Perspectives).!
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Students!will!be!introduced!to!the!governmental!involvement!Aboriginal!people!had!in!this!space.!The!
Aboriginal!people!wanted!a!treaty,!they!believed!not!having!a!treaty!with!the!original!owners!meant!
not!having!a!proper!legal!foundation!(Bunjilaka!Aboriginal!Culture!Center,!2013).!This!conveys!ways!in!
which!Australian!society!positioned!Aboriginal!people!and!the!fight!for!equality!(HIST106!Lecture!
Week!8:!Civil!Rights!the!Fight!for!Equality).!Some!of!the!devastating!impacts!of!colonization!are!
touched!on!in!the!exhibit.!This!included!the!treatment!of!Aboriginal!people,!the!effect!of!British!
colonization!on!Aboriginal!people,!introduced!diseases,!deteriorating!relations!and!the!loss!of!land!
(HIST106!Lecture!Week!3:!The!Myth!of!Peaceful!Settlement).!John!Batmans!Treaty!is!presented!plus!
the!issue!of!another!Proclamation.!The!Europeans!often!misinterpreted!Aboriginal!responses!to!the!
intrusions.!The!intruders!that!often!came!to!stay!challenged!the!Aboriginal!peoples!understandings!
(HIST106!Lecture!Week!3:!The!Myth!of!Peaceful!Settlement).!
!

Nicky!Winmars!story!illustrates!the!racist!stereotyping!of!Aboriginal!people.!From!the!exhibit!
students!will!understand!how!individuals!were!insensible!to!see!Indigenous!people!as!equals!(HIST106!
Lecture!Week!4:!Humanitarianism!or!Control?!Protection,!Missions!and!Reserves).!This!is!similar!to!
the!lack!of!attention!to!Aboriginal!people!and!the!stereotypical!and!condescending!jokes!in!regards!to!
the!representations!of!Indigenous!people!in!film!(HIST106!Lecture!Week!10:!Representations!of!
Australian!Indigenous!Peoples:!Indigenous!and!nonVIndigenous!Perspectives).!Students!will!
understand!how!the!negative!impacts!of!stereotyping!about!Aboriginal!identity!does!not!allow!for!
individual!differences,!therefore!stopping!us!from!learning!the!real!truth!about!real!Aboriginal!people!
(Foley,!2000,!p.!2).!
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The!story!Working!Hard!explains!to!students!regardless!of!being!seen!as!worthless,!the!disruption!of!
their!culture!and!kinship!systems!during!their!life!living!on!missions!and!reserves!(HIST106!Lecture!
Week!4:!Humanitarianism!or!Control?!Protection,!Missions!and!Reserves)!now!the!Aboriginal!
community!can!flourish!into!the!best!role!models!from!today!and!into!the!future.!The!significance!of!
the!story!presents!how!assimilation!policies!and!legislations!greatly!overpowered!the!Aboriginal!
culture!and!independence!of!Aboriginal!people!(Clark,!2011,!p.!100).!
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InVtext!citation:!418!
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