Embedding Indigenous Culture In Every Day Learning & Activities

At Bumblebee we strive to embed indigenous culture in every day experiences and learning for the children so it’s apart of our daily program.

We developed our own acknowledgement of country that was approved by a local elder in the Bunjalung community where our centre is based.

We have regular professional development for our educators to ensure they understand the indigenous cultural history and how to teach children respectfully and appropriately.

By embedding cultural learning in the early years educators can impart the wonder of Indigenous knowledge, and support Aboriginal children’s sense of identity and belonging, as well as promoting a culture of understanding and respect towards cultural diversity for all children.

Recent research by Know Your Country revealed a gap in Australian’s basic knowledge of First Nations’ culture and heritage, with 70 per cent of respondents aged 18 to 24 saying they would have liked better First Nations education when they were at school.

In a recent interview for podcast Mamamia, Aunty Phyllis Marsh, a First Nations Cultural Educator at West Moreton Anglican College in Queensland, discussed how cultivating understanding should start from the earliest age and begins by taking children outside to explore the natural world around them.

Describing her approach, she said “Little kids love to learn, you need to fill their heads with wonder and play.”

Aunty Phyllis described how she connects children with ancient wisdom through nature, encouraging them to be eco-explorers as she guides them in their discovery of native plants growing on country, and sharing knowledge of how they were used.

The children at Bumblebee are involved in learning experiences such as learning about the land and planting bush tucker. Different variety’s of indigenous creative art experiences such as painting recycled carboard to make indigenous animals, learning about the colours of the Indigenous flag and Torres Straight Islander flag, learning the Indigenous Alphabet and painting it in traditional colours and much more

Our Educators use these experiences as teaching moments for the children to teach them about Indigenous culture and the meaning of each experience.