Culturally responsive learnings are needed to keep First Nations educators strong in our identity and to help us maintain balance across our two worlds that we navigate daily.
As First Nations Peoples we carry impacted trauma that is individually ours, our immediate families, both our extended families and our Peoples and community.
In our reality, many of us in the ECEC sector are often the only one in our workspace, carrying a heavy colonial load with expectations knowingly and unknowingly placed upon us by our teams. For us to want to remain within our team and workspace, we need ongoing culturally responsive professional development that builds on our knowledge and refills our cup personally, spiritually and professionally.
This reignites the fire in our belly, strengthens our life purpose when it is our generation’s turn, and inspires us to keep going and do better. With these opportunities, we can continue our journeys as First Nations educators across the sector and become positive role models and mentors for our communities.
Photos Left - Lisa with Professor Marcia Langton at the Indigenous Leadership Summit in Naarm this year, Right - Lisa connecting with a Knowledge Holder at a Truth Telling and Reconciliation Conference on Yuin Country, NSW. Top photo - Lisa being Welcomed to Country at Banubanu on Dhambaliya Island, East Arnhem Land by Yolgnu Gumatj Leader Aunty Djalinda Yunupingu
What we need
We need cultural learnings we can use to grow within ourselves and to share with those around us – our mob, our community, and our teams – so they gain insight into how to authentically walk alongside us and respectfully engage, collaborate and co-design with us.
We need cultural learnings facilitated by First Nations people for First Nations people, where deeper knowledge is shared, authentic connections are made, and learning happens in raw, humble spaces of alignment.
We need in-person cultural learnings where we can fully immerse ourselves without expectation and connect with whatever comes to us – whether that be knowledge, experience, opportunity, people, or place. There is always something to take away from every experience, no matter how small it may seem.
Walking with us to make learning possible
If there is no budget, then allow us to source scholarships or work around discounted pricing. Give us the time and support to apply or negotiate these so that we can all benefit from the learnings that return to our teams and workplaces.
Work with us on timing. When we find staff who can cover for us, help us explore options to ensure ratios while we are immersed in our learnings. Support us in choosing PD that we know will benefit us as First Nations Peoples, our communities, and our teams’ understanding of us and culturally responsive ways of working. If you have questions about why we want to attend certain learnings, come with an open mind and yarn with us.
After completing the learnings, give us the time to process and reflect so we can share back with our team in ways that make sense to them and can be built into individual and collective practice. Support us to revisit the learnings as a team so they can grow into our programming and ways of working.
Types of learning we need
Truth telling
Truth telling sessions are invaluable, emotional, insightful, and sometimes difficult to deeply listen to, but they are vital for knowledge, empowerment and healing. They also provide our teams with the understanding of why we are the way we are and what is happening in our communities.
Leadership opportunities
Leadership gatherings are empowering, inspiring and motivating – whether hearing from grassroots leaders or those on a national platform. Their stories of where they have come from, what they have endured, and how they keep navigating challenges remind us to keep going, that we are not alone, and that it is our turn to do our part for our people and for equitable change.
Trauma learnings
Trauma learnings can be triggering but also provide insight into how much trauma and wisdom we carry and why. These spaces are raw but vital, encouraging us to connect, listen deeply, and gain strategies to understand and heal our own trauma and wisdom. This has a ripple effect, helping us to support others in our communities.
Yarnin’ circles, strengthening days and community gatherings
These spaces keep us connected with mob in culturally safe and responsive ways, where we can openly yarn about all things First Nations.They help us stay in the loop about what is happening across our sector, our Clan, Nation, community, state and continent. In these gatherings we network, share strategies, and become connectors between our people and our teams. Through this we can support, advocate for, and empower our people.
Culturally responsive upskilling
Upskilling opportunities that align with us as First Nations educators enable us to advocate for future generations, while equipping us with new skills and knowledge to support our jarjums holistically. These opportunities empower our families and communities, and also give our teams valuable insight into culturally responsive approaches when walking respectfully alongside us.
PD opportunities Lisa recommends:
Indigenous Leadership Summit – The Leadership Institute
https://www.theleadershipinstitute.com.au/indigenous-leadership-summit/
SNAICC National Conference – SNAICC (National Voice for our Children)
https://www.snaicc.org.au/snaicc-national-conference/
PULiiMA Indigenous Language and Technology Conference – PULiiMA
https://puliima.com/
We Al-li: Culturally Informed Trauma Integrated Healing Training – We Al-li
https://www.wealli.com.au/
About Lisa
Lisa Walker is a proud Galibal woman from Bundjalung Country, Far North Coast, NSW and has ties to the Yuin, Yaegl and Gubbi Gubbi Nations.
She has worked across the ECE sector for the past 17 years in local, State, National and Global roles and started her own Cultural Consultancy 3 years ago, to promote understanding of her Peoples diverse ways of being and doing.
Lisa is grounded in connection to both her Country and mob and advocates for much needed change for her people through grassroots two-way respectful engagement. She believes all jarjums (children) deserve the same opportunities to belong, learn, thrive and succeed in life and it is our role as big people to guide them through this, after all they are our future generations.