Oxley College is getting ready for NAIDOC week, held on Juny 7 - 14. This year NAIDOC's theme is voice, treaty, truth.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Students at the Oxley College participated in a workshop run by Gamilaroi artist Darren Dunn.
Darren is the NAIDOC artist of the year and a passionate advocate for Aboriginal art, culture and education.
Growing up in Coonababaren and Dubbo, Darren was raised with Aboriginal culture always around him.
"[Art] was there everyday in my culture, I just listened. I didn't have to sit down and be taught by my Aunties and Uncles," he said.
"The traditional ways were there. It wasn't about being Aboriginal or non-indigenous, we just grew up that way."
Darren has been educating students for 28 years in Aboriginal cultural history, personal history, Aboriginal art and music and the importance of Aboriginal Totem and what it means.
He firmly believes in education and expresses how important education is through art and culture and believes it helps give "students ownership and teaches them a higher quality experience so they can finish school and be proud."
The students at Oxley College worked on a number of pieces of art work in preparation for their NAIDOC week assembly, with Darren teaching the boys to play the didgeridoo and the girls decorating clap sticks.
Maddie Sargent who spent the day in the workshop said that she found it really rewarding and different to anything she had done before.
"I was hesitant but so glad I did it," she said.
"It was interesting to learn about Aboriginal art."
Another student Emma Sommerville also enjoyed learning from Darren.
"It was really interesting," she said.
"It was really rewarding and fun to learn about a different culture."
Jamie Gordon said the workshop was not just fun but "really good exposure to another culture".
"The main thing for me was learning about the culture and symbolism and what it means to people and the communities," he said.
"Darren has taught us a lot and is a great guy to be around."
This will be Oxley College's second year celebrating NAIDOC week and the art work made in the workshops will be presented in an assembly.
NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observers Committee.