Kings Creek Station, Northern Territory, Australia – Aug 21, 2019: close up of a Australian Aboriginal bush painting art. Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experience tour in Australian outback Employees across Early Childhood Australia (ECA) have been involved in National Reconciliation Week projects connected to ECA’s Reconciliation Action Plan. Our group has developed a survey for early […]
Storytelling exists as a vital aspect of every culture and has existed in every corner of the world which people call home. Stories exist to inform, explore and hypothesise as well as to entertain and amuse. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have used stories as their main way of sharing their worldview and understandings […]
How can early childhood settings incorporate reconciliation through everyday learning? ECA caught up with preschool teacher and educational leader, ADAM DUNCAN, to hear his views on reconciliation. In the lead up to last year’s ECA Reconciliation Symposium, Adam shared his thoughts with ECA on how educators can achieve change towards reconciliation. He expanded on these ideas […]
Cultural competence and reconciliation are recurrent topics in our line of work. But when it comes to putting these into practice, we’re often faced with more questions than answers. I’d like to put forth my perspective and hopefully it might help my colleagues in taking the first step towards their reconciliation journey. As the director […]
This section showcases snapshot examples of the reconciliation journey undertaken by a number of services across Australia. They are all unique, but share common embedded practice strategies that have enabled the children, families, educators and community members to work together in supporting reconciliation. The key strategies are highlighted to signpost the range and breadth of […]
When a popular children’s picture book came under the spotlight at ECA’s 2018 Reconciliation Symposium in May, it was ‘reconciliation in action’: a chance to express and hear strong, conflicting views, to listen, learn and rethink. For ECA, it triggered reflection and a search for more perspectives. An important and expanding part of ECA’s work […]
National Reconciliation Week (27 May–3 June) is a time for all Australians to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, share that knowledge and help us grow as a nation. This year’s theme—‘Don’t keep history a mystery’—makes it personal, inviting each of us to learn more. ECA’s commitment to Reconciliation deepens […]
When the words of Kev Carmody’s and Paul Kelly’s song ‘From little things big things grow’ echoed across the room of 300 people at the conclusion of the ECA’s Reconciliation Symposium, I knew things had changed. Changed for ECA, for the participants and just maybe changed for the early childhood sector. When the ECA Reconciliation Advisory Group first […]
The date 26 January holds a complex place in Australia’s history. While some celebrate it as Australia Day, this date also marks a day of mourning for First Nations people as the date the first British colonies landed, starting centuries of mistreatment and displacement for Aboriginal people. In early childhood education this day presents an […]
Imagine traveling 2 plane flights and over 8 hours to your first teaching job- with little people who spoke a different language and who were from a different cultural background to you. You might be forgiven for thinking that the scenario I am creating was set in Asia or Eastern Europe. But this adventure takes place […]
