A MEANINGFUL WAY TO RAISE AWARENESS OF INDIGENOUS CULTURE
Trees take on the colours of the Aboriginal flag on Close the Gap Day
Towards the end of Term 1 , in recognition of National Close the Gap Day , the Indigenous Partnership Program boys decided to cover the trees along Morrison Street , Monash Drive , and in Old Scotch Square and the Quad with fabric representing the colours of the Australian Aboriginal flag .
In doing this they hoped to raise further awareness and encourage discussion within the School about Indigenous culture in Australia , and issues surrounding the Close the Gap campaign .
The connection between Scotch and Tiwi College has always been strong , and the School loves hosting the Tiwi students in Melbourne ; but due to COVID-19 , the Tiwi students were unfortunately unable to come to Scotch , which was very sad . But through thick and thin , the connection still remains strong , with both the Tiwi and Scotch boys exchanging video messages , continuing to strengthen the relationship even though they were unable to stay with us .
With their planned visit coinciding with Reconciliation Week , through the web page Scotch Streams , I spoke to Scotch boys about the significance of Reconciliation Week , delivering an Acknowledgment of Country and reflecting on what Reconciliation means to me .
Reconciliation here at Scotch has improved throughout my journey at the School , and as an
As an Indigenous student I ’ ve witnessed first-hand just how much the School really appreciates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture , and how the relationship between the two is getting stronger . The addition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at the beginning of this year
was an incredible achievement , as I know that previous Indigenous boys over the years were devoted to getting the flags up .
Coming into my final year and seeing the flags put up really made me see just how dedicated the School is to closing the gap . Walking down from the boarding house each and every morning I pass the two flags , and I always lift my head to have a look at them . Every time I see them , it makes me feel safe and proud to be an Aboriginal student at this wonderful school that is accepting towards the traditional people of the land .
FLETCHER JOHNSTONE – YEAR 12
BELOW : TREES COVERED WITH THE COLOURS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL FLAG RAISED AWARENESS OF INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND THE CLOSE THE GAP CAMPAIGN . BOTTOM PICTURE : TIWI COLLEGE STUDENT
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