Silkwood – Connecting to Country through Totems (781mb)

Silkwood School

24 May 201506:36

Summary

TLDRThe video script introduces Jalen, a traditional owner of the Juggern land and descendant of King Bill and Nelly with the eagle as his totem. It highlights Silkwood School's commitment to indigenous knowledge, where students connect with their local environment through totem animals. The school, located in the Yugambeh language region, fosters a learning journey that integrates Yugembeh language, cultural activities, environmental exploration, and traditional games, encouraging students to become custodians of the land and develop respect for its sustaining power.

Takeaways

🏞️ The script introduces Jalen, a traditional owner of the Juggen people, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the land and its indigenous people.
👋 Greetings are extended to the audience, setting a welcoming and respectful tone for the video about Silkwood School.
🌳 Silkwood School is located on Goomburra country, part of the broader Yugambeh language region, highlighting the school's connection to the local environment and indigenous heritage.
🐾 The school focuses on building connections to the local environment through indigenous knowledge, teaching students about their clan values and the responsibility to care for the land.
🦘 Each class at Silkwood is associated with a totem animal and its habitat, which is specific to the school's natural environment, fostering a deep connection with nature.
📚 Older students mentor younger ones, sharing knowledge about totem animals, cultural activities, and environmental investigations, promoting a sense of community and learning.
🎨 Interactive cultural and art activities are used to build on the totem animal story, allowing students to explore their creativity and deepen their connection to their totem.
🔍 Environmental investigations take students into the bush to learn about their totem animal's habitat, survival strategies, and the role of the animal in the ecosystem.
🍃 The school teaches about 'bush law,' showing students how indigenous people use native plants for food and tools, instilling respect for the land's resources.
🏃‍♂️ Physical games based on traditional indigenous activities are incorporated into the curriculum, developing agility and skills that were crucial for survival in the bush.
🌐 The spirit of Silkwood is about inspiring students to get connected to their environment, make a difference, and embrace the school's unique way of learning.

Q & A

Who is Jalen and what is his significance in the script?
-Jalen is a traditional owner of the Juggen people, belonging to the Man and Jelly people of Beaudesert. He is a direct descendant of King Bill and Nelly with Mibbin the Eagle as his totem, and his presence in the script signifies the importance of acknowledging the indigenous heritage and connection to the land.
What is the geographical region that Southeast Queensland belongs to in terms of language and clans?
-Southeast Queensland belongs to the Eugene Bell language region and incorporates several different clan groups, indicating the diversity of indigenous cultures in the area.
What is the significance of totems in the learning process at Silkwood School?
-Totems are significant in the learning process at Silkwood School as they help students connect to their natural environment and learn about their responsibilities to care for the land through their totem animals.
How does Silkwood School integrate indigenous knowledge and values into its curriculum?
-Silkwood School integrates indigenous knowledge and values by focusing on building connections to the local environment, teaching students about their clan values, and incorporating totem animals into their learning journey.
What are the different activities that students at Silkwood School engage in to learn about their totem animals?
-Students at Silkwood School engage in activities such as creating totem animal stories, participating in cultural and art activities, conducting environmental investigations, learning about bush law, and playing physical games based on traditional indigenous games.
What is the role of older students at Silkwood School in the learning process?
-Older students at Silkwood School play a mentoring role, helping younger students learn how to care for the country and write in their own school yard, sharing their experiences and knowledge.
How do students at Silkwood School develop their understanding of the Yugembe language?
-Students develop their understanding of the Yugembe language through the integration of the language in totem animal stories, where key messages are threaded through the story with Yugembe language interwoven.
What is the importance of the natural environment in the learning journey at Silkwood School?
-The natural environment is crucial in the learning journey at Silkwood School as it provides a context for students to connect with their totem animals, explore their habitats, and understand the ecosystem as part of their learning.
How do the cultural and art activities at Silkwood School enhance the learning experience?
-Cultural and art activities at Silkwood School enhance the learning experience by providing students with an opportunity to explore their creativity, connect to their totem animals in a more tactile way, and learn more about their cultural heritage.
What is the Silkwood way of learning as described in the script?
-The Silkwood way of learning is an approach that integrates the school's story and the natural environment to shape how students learn and grow each day, emphasizing connection to the land, indigenous knowledge, and responsibility towards the environment.
What message does the script convey about the spirit of Silkwood?
-The script conveys that the spirit of Silkwood is about inspiring students to get connected to their environment and cultural heritage, and to make a difference by becoming custodians and developing respect for the land.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 Indigenous Connection and Learning at Silkwood School

The first paragraph introduces Jalen, a traditional owner from the Juggen people, who acknowledges the land and its indigenous heritage. It sets the stage for Silkwood School, emphasizing its location on Goomba Mary country within the Ugenberg language region of southeast Queensland. The school's educational approach focuses on building connections with the local environment through indigenous knowledge. Students learn about their clan values, totems, and the responsibility to care for the land, integrating these lessons with their natural environment. The school's curriculum involves totem animals specific to the school's ecosystem, with each class engaging with a particular animal and habitat. The paragraph also highlights the school's commitment to intergenerational learning, where older students mentor younger ones in activities that include storytelling, cultural arts, environmental investigations, and physical games inspired by traditional indigenous practices.

05:01

📚 The Silkwood Way: Learning through Connection to Country

The second paragraph delves into the spirit of Silkwood School, which is centered around inspiring students to get connected and make a difference. It emphasizes the school's unique approach to education, where the story of Silkwood and its natural environment are integral to the learning process. The 'Silkwood way' is about shaping students' growth through their connection to the land, which is seen as a custodianship that fosters respect and understanding. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for students to embody the spirit of Silkwood by getting inspired, making connections, and contributing positively to their environment and community.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Traditional Owner

A 'traditional owner' refers to a person who has ancestral ties to a specific piece of land, often in Indigenous cultures. In the video, Jalen identifies himself as a traditional owner of the Juggern land, emphasizing the deep connection between Indigenous people and their ancestral lands. This concept is central to the video's theme of land stewardship and cultural heritage.

💡Totem

A 'totem' is a symbol, often an animal or plant, that represents a family or clan in many Indigenous cultures. In the script, the eagle is mentioned as Jalen's totem, symbolizing his ancestral lineage and spiritual connection. The concept of totems is integral to the video's exploration of Indigenous identity and the students' learning journey through their totem animals.

💡Elders

Elders, in Indigenous cultures, are respected members of the community who hold wisdom and knowledge passed down through generations. The script pays respect to the elders, both past and present, acknowledging their role in preserving cultural knowledge and practices, which is a key aspect of the video's narrative on cultural continuity.

💡Clan Groups

Clan groups are social units within Indigenous societies, often based on kinship ties. The script mentions several different clan groups in the Eugene Bell language region, illustrating the diversity and organization of Indigenous communities. Understanding clan groups helps to contextualize the cultural practices and affiliations discussed in the video.

💡Silkwood School

Silkwood School is the setting of the video, where learning is framed as an adventure. The school is located on Goomburra Mary country and is part of the wider Yugambeh language region. The school's focus on connecting students to their local environment through Indigenous knowledge is central to the video's theme of environmental stewardship and cultural education.

💡Totem Animal

A 'totem animal' is an animal that represents a particular class or group in the school, as part of their learning about the local environment. Each class at Silkwood School works with a totem animal, which is specific to the school's natural environment. This concept is used in the video to demonstrate how students can connect with nature and learn about their responsibilities towards it.

💡Bush Tucker

Bush tucker refers to the use of native plants and animals as food sources by Indigenous people. In the script, students learn about bush law and how to resourcefully use the native plants and surrounds for bush tucker, which is an example of the practical application of Indigenous knowledge in the video's narrative.

💡Cultural Activities

Cultural activities in the video involve interactive experiences that build on the totem animal story, allowing students to learn more about their totem in a tactile way. These activities are designed to foster creativity and a deeper connection to the students' Indigenous heritage, which is a key educational goal in the video.

💡Environmental Investigations

Environmental investigations are a part of the students' learning journey where they explore the habitat of their totem animals in the native bushland. This hands-on approach to learning is highlighted in the video as a way to connect students with their natural environment and understand the ecosystem, which is central to the video's theme of environmental awareness.

💡Aboriginal Ways of Learning

The script mentions integrating Aboriginal ways of learning, which includes making a plan, telling a story, thinking, doing, and sharing with others. This approach is exemplified in the video as a holistic educational method that encourages students to engage with their learning in a meaningful and culturally relevant way.

💡Custodians

Custodians, in the context of the video, are those who take on the responsibility of caring for the land, a concept deeply rooted in Indigenous culture. By connecting to the country through totems, students learn to become custodians, developing respect for the land and understanding its role in sustaining life, which is a core message of the video.

Highlights

Greetings from Jalen, a traditional owner of the Juggen and land of Beaudesert.

Introduction as a direct descendant of King Bill and Nelly with Mibbin the Eagle as the totem.

Southeast Queensland belongs to the Eugene Bell language region with various clan groups.

Acknowledgment of the Kombumeri people of the Gold Coast and respect to elders past and present.

Welcome to Silkwood School, where learning is an adventure.

Silkwood's location on Goombo Mary Country, part of the Ugenberg language region.

Focus on building connections to the local environment through indigenous knowledge.

Aboriginal people learn values of their clan and how to connect to their country through totems.

Responsibility to care for the land is a birthright and a commitment to future generations.

Silkwood's young people learn to connect to the land through totem animals.

Each class works with a totem animal specific to Silkwood's natural environment.

Older students mentor younger ones, fostering a learning environment that cares for the country.

Integration of Yugembe language and key messages in totem animal stories.

Cultural and art activities that build on totem animal stories and encourage creativity.

Environmental investigations leading students into the bush to explore totem animal habitats.

Learning about bush law and the resourceful use of native plants by Aboriginal people.

Physical games based on traditional indigenous games, inspired by totem animals.

Development of custodianship and respect for the land through connecting to country via totems.

Silkwood's unique approach to learning and growth, shaped by its story and natural environment.

The spirit of Silkwood encourages inspiration, connection, and making a difference.

Transcripts

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[Music]

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