Teacher Ruth celebrates the Aboriginal culture

Teacher Ruth & Artist Sonda

Ruth is one of our DL teachers from Bankstown College in Sydney who has a keen interest in culture and human identity.

Every year Australia dedicates a week in July to celebrate the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements. So Ruth travelled to the Northern Territory to join the celebrations. She found it a great opportunity to acknowledge the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society.

The highlight of her trip was making friends with Sonda who comes from Alice Springs in the central desert area of Australia. She is well known in the territory for her artwork and storytelling.  She uses her artwork to carry on telling her Indigenous traditions and culture. She paints in public at markets or in the mall. You can watch her painting here.

Aboriginal Dance

Ruth watched the interesting dance performed by the dance group called ‘One Mob Different Country’. They had the permission from the elders to perform this ceremony in front of the Parliament House in Darwin.

Ruth feels enriched by connecting with Australia's indigenous community.  She enjoys listening to their stories about family and the importance of their place in the Australian culture.

• What does it mean to be Australian or what defines Australia's identity? 
• How much should the past shape your identity as an individual and Australia's identity?
• Australia has many different cultures.  How can we all get along and live in harmony?
• How important is art in understanding each other's cultures?