Sharing Culture through Story

Uhlmann, Lyn, Practically Primary

AUSTRALIA is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Whether migrants come for the lifestyle, the opportunities, for work, or for some other reason, the fact is, they have been coming since 1788, and the mix of cultures in contemporary Australia is reflected in almost every school across the nation as children from every walk of life learn and play together.

One culture has remained constant throughout this more than 200-year history, however, and for millennia before it. It is Australia's first culture that of the Indigenous people of the mainland and island communities. It is the oldest-known surviving culture on the planet and is rich with legend, song, story and deep understanding of the natural world and its ways.

It is also a culture in which the people have not always been treated well, and embedded in the darker halls of Australian history are recordings of atrocities such as the stolen generation. Thankfully, the pendulums of reason have swung towards reconciliation and moving forward as one nation, and the Indigenous Australian culture has become increasingly embraced and celebrated in a vast range of forums across Australia, including schools, where many teachers are employing culturally inclusive classroom practices to help build a school environment that values cultural diversity and the sharing of culture.

Such teachers, by encouraging their students to engage with Indigenous Australian books in authentic and respectful ways, are helping the children, irrespective of their culture, to learn about Indigenous …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Sharing Culture through Story. Contributors: Uhlmann, Lyn - Author. Magazine title: Practically Primary. Volume: 17. Issue: 2 Publication date: June 2012. Page number: 41+. © 2009 Australian Literacy Educators' Association. COPYRIGHT 2012 Gale Group.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.