Reconciliation Week Activity Ideas
For me, Reconciliation Week is an opportunity to reflect on reconciliation and engage in conversations that increase understanding of the vital role this movement champions. It is about gathering ideas, energy and direction for the ongoing actions required if we hope to make meaningful change.
Teachers often ask what they should do during Reconciliation Week, and my answer is never the specific list of activities that some educators are hoping for. It’s because I want your activities to be genuine and meaningful, and for that to happen, the correct activity for one class will be different to the activity for another. Ultimately, it depends on where you are at with your Aboriginal education journey and your understanding of reconciliation. Everyone is different and your approach will vary depending on your experiences, the community you live in, and the overall approach your school takes.
At the heart of it, Reconciliation Week is an opportunity to increase everyone’s understanding of reconciliation. While this is a simplistic view, for me the whole purpose of Reconciliation Week is to encourage the important yarns and encourage action that moves us towards reconciliation – so it doesn’t matter how you choose to recognise this event, but whatever you choose should include these two elements:
Reflection: why do we need reconciliation? What things are being done already to support reconciliation and how successful are they? How can we as individuals contribute? What can our school do to support reconciliation?
An opportunity to extend understanding: this can be as simple as a yarn, and there are plenty of activities out there to support students to deepen their understanding of reconciliation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, our culture and histories. Any activity that provides the opportunity to consider someone else’s perspective, as well as the space to ask questions and explore Aboriginal stories, culture and histories is an opportunity to share knowledge and understanding.
With these two important themes in mind, our educators teamed up with our friend Mr J over at @mr.j.learning.space and have come up with some simple activities you can do that can easily include both reflection and opportunities to extend understanding. Mr J will be sharing some more ideas over the coming weeks so make sure you are following along.
Bingo!
First up, check out our free bingo activity and see how many your class can complete across the week - or beyond! Reconciliation Week is a great time to refocus, but it's easy to forget that reconciliation is an all-year-round activity. It’s also important to remember, it’s everyone’s business. If you’re not in the classroom, don’t worry! We’ve also got a bingo board for you. Simply download the one that works best.
Have a yarn about reconciliation
This is the most important activity you can do and it perfectly complements almost everything else you choose; you can add a yarn to any activity, before, during or after – or all three! Think about:
Why do we need reconciliation?
Why is reconciliation important?
What things are being done already to support reconciliation and how successful are they?
How can we as individuals contribute?
What can our school do to support reconciliation?
If you are learning about/ exploring a particular person, book or story consider:
Who is the author and what mob are they from?
What story does the book share?
Why is it important that we have books from First Nations people?
How does sharing stories help reconciliation?
How does the person's work contribute to reconciliation?
What other people do you know that are doing work in this space?
Why are role models important?
Read a book by a First Nations author
This is a great way to share First Nations perspectives with your class and develop understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, cultures and histories. There is a diverse range of books, both fiction and non-fiction, that share all sorts of stories, written by First Nations writers from Country all around Australia. Choose something age-appropriate that your class will connect with and build your reconciliation activities around this.
Your library probably already has a great selection but if you haven’t already, check out the Riley Callie Resources x Learning to Ngangaanha ‘Blak Book of the Month’ initiative for some ideas.
Listening to and learning about First Nations musicians
This provides similar opportunities to connect with story and consider the role and ways of storytelling via music. It also exposes students to the diversity of experience in First Nations communities, as well as the skills and contributions being made every day.
Expand your exposure to First Nations voices
While reading is a great way to increase your exposure to First Nations voices, you can also watch movies, listen to podcasts, and read media from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices. There are so many amazing mob working to share First Nations story, but some of my favourites include:
Learn about the history of reconciliation and the people who are making contributions to the movement
This is all about understanding what reconciliation is and why we need it. The work being done across Australia is multifaceted, ongoing and vitally important, so it’s important to think about what’s being done and discuss what’s worked and why; this can help students identify their role in the reconciliation process and find actions that help them contribute meaningfully to reconciliation. Check out our lessons on Wingaru Kids which include a new lesson for 2024 entitled: ‘The Road to Reconciliation’; and you can find great resources and ideas at Reconciliation Australia or your state-specific reconciliation group.
Learn about the Traditional Custodians of your local area and make a commitment to acknowledge their ongoing connection to Country
Whenever you can, include the Country you are on in your mailing address. Take the time to explore who your local Aboriginal community are and how they work. A few starting points for consideration are:
Who are your local custodians?
What is their language?
What is the status of their language?
What are the community working towards?
Is there somewhere you can visit to experience local culture?
Are there local First Nations businesses that you could be supporting?
Connect with your local community and learn about their reconciliation approaches.
It goes without saying that Reconciliation Week is an amazing opportunity to connect with your local community. Chances are there will be loads of events that you can get involved in or you could host your own reconciliation event and invite local community members to attend. Hosting an event is a great way to create awareness of what you are doing within your class/ school with your whole school community, as well as fostering those important relationships with your local Aboriginal community. If you are looking for local events check local media, as well as the websites and social media for local Aboriginal organisations.
Supporting First Nations business
This is an easy thing we can all do. First Nations businesses face additional barriers due to bias and lack of intergenerational networks and experience. There are strong offerings in every industry that might be a suitable provider for you: offering everything from gifts to IT services, there really is a Blak business for everything and they contribute greatly to First Nations economic development through employment, raising awareness, and contributions to community-led initiatives. It is important to note that support isn’t just spending money with these organisations – you can champion Blak business by sharing their social media posts, referring them to friends, sharing your experiences of positive customer service and encouraging your networks to seek out genuine First Nations offerings.
Complete the Wingaru ‘More Now than Ever’ wall display
This year's Reconciliation Week theme, ‘Now More Than Ever’, reminds us that, no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will – and must – continue. It reminds us that we all have a part to play in tackling the unfinished business of reconciliation. Reconciliation Week is a time to re-focus our ideas and energy, and Wingaru’s ‘More Now than Ever’ wall display is a great way to capture ideas and commitments, as well as being a visual reminder to keep going with the work all year round. If you are not a subscriber, simply book a Wingaru Kids Webinar to learn how Wingaru Kids can support you all year round; as a thank you for your time we will send you this amazing 24-page tool.
