Culture and Language

Theme: Language
Area of Study: English
Resource: Scootle/ video about Boon wurrung country and Boon Wurrung
stories (Handed out in class).
Year level: 4
Students in year four will watch a video about the Boon Wurrung country. This will begin students
appreciation and understanding of the culture and language importance of this land in Australia, set
out by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This will include understanding the vast land of
Australia and the culture heritage of Victoria, including the peninsula region. Whilst taking note of the
words used that are different to the words used for certain places and areas within the Boon Wurrung
country. For example getting students to understand that Port Phillip Bay is named Nairm. This video
will then help students to begin to understand the stories of Australias land and in particular the land
they currently live on this being Boon Wurrung country. These stories can include the Boon Wurrung
story about Port Phillip Bay. Students will read these stories independently and together as a class
taking note of the significant language used. Students can begin to then learn these words through
various activities, such as writing their own stories using Boon Wurrung words.
This lesson aims to build upon the language used by Boon Wurrung Aboriginal and Torress Strait
Islander people by engaging students through a video about the Boon Wurrung country. In order to
maintain the respect of Boon Wurrung people the teaching of the language of this lesson and
understandings will directly come from the stories told and written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people. While this video and stories about Boon Wurrung country are helpful in order to
teach the language and culture of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people its important to
recognise as a teacher that the students own stories are kept culturally appropriate and in manner that
appreciate and honour Indigenous and Torress Strait Islander people. Whilst also ensuring as a
teacher I do not teach the Boon Wurrung language.

By Annaliese Collison

References

Catholic Education Office, (2013). Yarra Healing: Kulin Nation- Introduction.

Retrieved from: https://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/search?q=boon+wurrung

Couzens, V. (2015). Mother Tongue: The filling of the bay- The time of chaos [Class handout].
Victorian Aboriginal Cooperation for Languages.