In celebration of Aboriginal Languages Week, the Australian National Maritime Museum has announced they will host four free online workshops.
Led by the Museum's First Nations Programs Officer and proud Dharawal- Dunghutti-Yuin woman, Dakota Dixon, the workshop will teach primary school students Dharawal words and their broader cultural significance.
Students from across Australia are invited and welcome to join as Dixon uses the Museum's animated story Barani - which tells the tale of a young Gadigal boy and his mother learning on the waters of Gomora (Darling Harbour) - to educate students about Dharawal language and culture in a fun and meaningful way.
"Barani is in part about the visibility of the women as fisherwoman, the first commercial merchants in what would become the colony. They saw the starvation of the newcomers and saw an opportunity to prosper as well as provide with the wisdom of their knowledge. Victimhood at the time was not part of their vocabulary," said Barani project ambassador, Rhoda Roberts.
The free online workshops will take place on October 21st and 25th, with two sessions on each day. The first session is aimed at students in Kindergarten to Year 2 and the second session is for students in Years 3 to 6.
In the morning workshops, students in Kindergarten to Year 2 will focus on learning and practicing 10 words in Dharawal. The afternoon sessions for students in Years 3 to 6 will also discuss other aspects of Dharawal life and culture.
When speaking on the upcoming workshops Dixon said both she and the Museum are eager to be involved in Aboriginal Languages Week and educate today's youth.
"The Museum is excited to be participating in Aboriginal Languages Week and providing a wonderful opportunity for all young Australians to learn about the traditional language spoken in Sydney Harbour and discover more about the cultures and customs of the Dharawal people," she said.
Set to be both an educational and engaging experience, students will walk away with knowledge of traditional First Nations culture delivered in a manner in which they can understand, absorb and find rather interesting.
The free online workshops will be held on October the 21st and 25th, with two sessions on each day.
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