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Students'
cultures and heritage: Nidja Noongar Boodjar Noonook Nyininy
| Nidja
Noongar Boodjar Noonook Nyininy is a very substantial
and insightfully-designed package of materials for primary
teachers and students, although secondary teachers have
found it adaptable to their needs.
It embeds the development of literacy and numeracy skills
in the culture, stories and language of the Noongar
people of south-west Western Australia. As well as drawing
on their rich cultural heritage, it has a strong contemporary
focus. |
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It
comes in a large plastic box with wheels, and consists of
- A
Teacher's Resource Manual
-
A Noongar Dictionary
- Six
sets of Books and games - each set includes one large teacher's
book and four small books
- Four
sets of small books
- Maps
- Art
poster sets
- Picture
card sets
-
The 'Elders' set- posters and plays
- A
study tour of the south west of WA.
Availability:
Enquiries can be directed to the Aboriginal Studies Consultant,
Catholic Education Office of WA,
50 Ruislip St,
Leederville
WA 6007.
Phone: 08 9212 9241.
E-mail: ss@ceowa.perth.catholic.edu.au
Richard
Win Pe, CEO Aboriginal Studies Consultant, contributes the
following article:
Murdoch
University was commissioned to develop, in consultation with
the Aboriginal community, a resource package that would provide
both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students of the south-west
with quality educational materials to assist with the development
of their literacy and numeracy skills. It is also anticipated
the use of these materials in the classrooms will significantly
improve the attendance rate of Noongar students.
The package draws together a range of teaching materials and
resources about the Noongar people whose traditional territory
encompassed the area of Western Australia that now contains
80% of the State's population.
The extensive development of this package involved:
- Unfolding
culturally appropriate materials that would encourage and
promote increased literacy and numeracy levels in all children
throughout the Noongar country of Western Australia.
-
Providing resources with a Noongar country focus for use
in Catholic primary and secondary schools involved in Aboriginal
Studies.
-
Providing resources which would promote contemporary Aboriginal
culture and history as it exists in the south-west of Western
Australia.
- Introducing
innovative teaching strategies for use with Aboriginal and
non- Aboriginal students, through developing a user-friendly
teaching strategies resource package.
-
Developing a training package to inservice teachers that
outlines practical strategies for working with Aboriginal
students particularly with a south-west focus.
The
comprehensive package consists of:
1. Reading materials and games aimed at increasing the literacy
and numeracy levels of Aboriginal students in south-west Western
Australia.
2. Relevant resources that would promote an understanding of
traditional and contemporary societies in south-west Western
Australia.
3. Relevant teaching strategies appropriate to Aboriginal student
learning.
4. A training package with a Noongar country focus for inservicing
teachers working with Aboriginal students.
5. An implementation strategy.
An example of what is contained in the package is the Small
Book Set featuring four Noongar children from St Joseph's School,
Moora.
This set of books focuses on the diversity of Noongar life and
experiences. The children tell about their family, favourite
pastimes and their family activities. Photographs of the children
and their families are used to illustrate each book. Readers
are encouraged to consider each of these stories relative to
their own so that the shared differences and similarities are
emphasised.
A set of literacy and numeracy activities is then outlined in
which explicit links are made to English and Mathematics Learning
Outcomes in the Western Australian Curriculum Framework document
(1998). Additional information is provided for teachers who
may wish to establish links across other learning areas.
By contextualising learning, the Catholic Education Office believes
Noongar students in the south-west of Western Australia will
discover that education is meaningful and relevant to their
own life. Through Nidja Noongar Boodja Noonook Nyininy,
it is anticipated that through the fostering of a positive attitude
to learning, the literacy and numeracy skills of Noongar students
will increase, along with their participation in classroom activities
and attendance patterns. 
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Until
recently, there has been very little recognition of
Noongar lifestyle and language both within the educational
system and the broader community. That is one of the
reasons why the Catholic Education Office of Western
Australia recognised the need for a renewal of the richness
and complexity of the Noongar people, their language
and cultural life, which was slowly fading away. 
