Shelley Ware visits Elsternwick Campus
As part of their inquiry into memoir and the importance of remembering stories, Year 7 students at Elsternwick have been spending thoughtful time making connections between themselves and 'The Seven Domains of Self', a concept integral to Indigenous identity. They’re also developing an appreciation of the sacredness of Country, especially the Kulin Nations on whose lands the Elsternwick community resides.
They recently welcomed guest speaker, Shelley Ware, to Elsternwick while exploring First Nations culture, history and identity through Doris Pilkington’s novel, Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence. Deeply passionate about embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture into our classrooms, Shelley has worked hard and achieved much in many different fields throughout her career, including sport, corporate speaking, journalism, media and education.
Shelley was open and honest in all that she shared, including teachings about the songlines and trading routes that cross Victoria, the importance of self-checking stereotypes and the prejudices we all hold, and the responsibility of educating ourselves on First Nations culture and our shared history so as to recognise the past before we can move forward.
She opened up very real conversations and shared important facts and stories that very much need to be heard in Australia today. The students were keen to engage and asked considered questions regarding Shelley’s personal experiences, culture and perspective on history. Such workshops from first-hand resources help bring learning to life at Wesley.
