Maclean High School’s annual River of Learning Celebration Day marking the start of Reconciliation Week was held on Wednesday 27th May. It is the most important cultural event on the school’s calendar as it is the culmination of student work and learning on Country with the Elders.
In Term 1 Year7 students were taken on Cultural Tours by the Yaegl Elders and in Term 2 the students were taught thematic content focussing on the fig tree. All this great teaching and learning is put on display for parents and the school community to see as well as other activities such as dancing, music and signing. This year the reconciliation theme All In calls on every person to engage and commit to a collective action for long term and meaningful reconciliation with the Australia’s first people.
The Celebration Day is split into two parts. The whole school assembly, welcome and smoking ceremony and a Year 7 assembly after a morning tea. This year the smoking ceremony was undertaken by Shane McLeay, and its significance was explained to the school, visitors, guests and Elders by the schools AEO Sam Kapeen. The school captains ran the event and explained the significance of Reconciliation Week. It was at this point that a member of the Yaegl Community came forward and explained the impact of the 1967 Referendum and the importance of Aboriginal people being given access to education and counted as citizens in the census, that person who addressed the assembly was the daughter of Joyce Clague. It was a very poignant and uplifting moment for the entire audience to hear the account an to reflect on the significance of reconciliation to our community. After the smoking ceremony everyone was invited to a morning tea put on by the school and Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation. After coffee and lots of catch up with friends and community we all returned to the quadrangle for the Year 7 Celebration Assembly.
During the Year 7 assembly students were recognised for their exemplary behaviour and participation in class and during the Cultural Tours. The Elders were also acknowledged for their ongoing support of the Cultural Tours. A Year 7 student then spoke to the students about the impact of the Cultural Tours and how they would now view Brooms Head and Lake Arragan from a different perspective. Every ear the school invites a guest speaker to address the student usually it is an ex-student from the school and someone from the Yaegll community. This year Don Macphail spoke to the students about the importance of focus and self-belief.
Maclean High School is fortunate that it has a long history with the Yaegl Community and the Elders engaging with the school with its unique culture and history which is delivered to the Year 7 students from their perspective. The Celebration Dayn ot only involves Year 7 students but other students from the rest of the school body both on Country and off Country who dance and provide music. This year one of the dances performed by the Aboriginal dance group came from Biripi Country. This dance was about the honey tree and the honey tree hunters it was described and choreographed by a Year 11 student who had enrolled at the school in Year 11 this year. The music group comprised of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students who performed songs such as You Can Count on Me and the Seekers classic, I am Australian performed in language. A very moving and powerful way to finish a fantastic educational assembly.
Such an event cannot occur without the dedication and support of many people in the school and in the community. The school’s students who danced, played music, sang, took photographs, cooked the BBQ and made coffee as well as welcoming and looking after the Elders and guests all contributed to making this annual event an uplifting memorable experience which demonstrates reconciliation and that for this occasion and hopefully for many more we are All In.
The River of Learning Art Show collated by Maclean High School displaying 95 pieces of art from primary school that reside on Yael Country is on display at the Yamba Museum until the 9th June. The theme this year chosen by the Yaegl Elders Our Home, Our Country, Our River.
