As I've mentioned before, I'm very interested in how the concept and ethos around natural learning and connecting to nature is relevant to Aboriginal communities. I'm looking for insights, trying to ascertain the connection and importance that having time in a natural space can contribute to a child's connection to land, to place and to their Aboriginal heritage. I interviewed Lee Hinton, an Indigenous Employment Consultant with Australia Post. I was introduced to Lee through a family contact and he very graciously gave me his time to share his insights.
Lee wasn't brought up on the traditional land where his ancestors trod. He grew up in suburban Sydney. His Aboriginality was something that his family nurtured and was pronounced in his roots, but it wasn't until he reached his teenage years that he discovered what this meant for himself, for his identity. Being raised in an urban, multicultural society he described the pressures of juggling modern day as having a large impact in how he connected to land, to place. "The connection to land and place that urban Aboriginal people experience is vastly different to that of those in more rural places"
I asked Lee if he had a natural childhood space that was special to him growing up and he told me about a large oval, a broad open expanse where he had the freedom to be himself, free of restrictions. He shared this place with his mates. "We liked playing sports, building cubbies and sometimes just laying around on the grass". I was reminded of the many times overseas that I saw young children close to the earth, laying and lolling about, not doing anything that an adult might interpret as constructive or educative. Children having the freedom to 'just be'. I recall watching one of the children at the John Brotchie Bush School flat in the grass, hands outstretched and head down in a patch of sunshine. Being still is so important, especially when it's voluntary.
I asked Lee if he felt it was important to give Urban Aboriginal children an opportunity to connect to nature and he agreed that it's vital. "It's vital to connect to nature, as it helps in the indigenous development of their own beliefs as a child, in understanding their connection to land and to place. Country kids pick it up because they are more isolated from all the distractions in an urban environment. They come to terms with who they are and their surrounding area. Aboriginal children need to learn with all of their senses. They need to be able to touch, to feel. They need to hear the birds and see. They might even be able to taste some things" I get a sense that in providing urban Aboriginal children with opportunities to connect to nature we have a part in developing their identities, their sense of where they belong in their Aboriginality as well as providing them with an engaging learning environment.
Lee shared that he found the class room a restrictive place. He told a story of a time when he was struggling at school. There were family pressures and the learning from books, at a desk, the overhead projector shining onto the screen, was hard for him. He didn't feel a part of the lessons. He had the courage to talk to his teacher about it and this very wise teacher listened. He took the boys outdoors and had them play active games, sports and the like. Every now and again he'd stop them to ask a question from something they needed to learn or know. He combined active play with academic learning. It gave the boys a break from the stifled aspect of classroom life, and I imagine it freed their brains for the sort of thinking they needed to do. "He engaged us" Lee said. How refreshing! I was touched by the benefit this would have had not only for Lee and his classmates but also for the teacher. "Yes, he was ahead of his time that teacher, I wished I could have had him for longer". That teacher was open to listening, and would have learnt from his students as much as they learnt from him.
I asked Lee what he thought about a nature preschool that incorporated Aboriginal Learning, and asked his advice on how it should be done. Often we meet this challenge in tokenistic ways, like incorporating a bush tucker activity or listening to dream time stories as one off experiences. He suggested that elders hold the knowledge of their community and that this involvement and endorsement would help to build community trust. Without this, communities are more likely to hang back, not participate. He also reiterated that just having the opportunity to connect to nature, play in bush settings and learn with all of their senses was an important part of building Aboriginal identity and engaging their learning.
I'd like to thank Lee for his time, his insights and his personal stories. It all helps to build a picture of what this could mean in our own local contexts. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it too.
Bye for now.
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