1
1∣
1
I
ї
At the meeting of Independent Aboriginal Schools:
Jacob Oberdoo went for the Strelley School, Sambo
Bina for Warralong, Ditch Williams for Camp 61
' and Toby Jones for Lala . Rookh School (Mikurrunya,
25.2.82:5).
Thus the appropriate representation is from the marmgu not
the white teachers.
13.18
(ii) The curriculum
In the first days of the school, the concern was for the teaching
of the vernacular, and literacy and numeracy in English. There
has now been added to the curriculum the transmission of traditional
skills - again a powerful source of theorizing which locates the
people in the world of predecessors, as well as the contemporary
world. Certain marrngu knowledge is now seen as appropriately passed
on in the school situation.
This year the marmgu teachers working with the
older boys and girls are learning new ways of passing
on their knowledge of important things that grow
and happen in the country around us.
The teachers decided that Jijimarra was a good
time for a visit to Cattle Camp to learn about
bush medicine. The older teachers told the younger
teachersɪ and children the names of all the medicinal
plants, what they are used for and how to use them.
When they returned to school they prepared the
medicines then worked with the younger teachers
to write down information about them. Some other
topics being used in the teacher training programme
are: the collection of marlaja, planting seeds
and animal activity (Mikurrunya,29.5.81:15).
The smaller children are also involved in this development.
The bridging group were taken to Shaw River where
some of the old people showed them some traditional
marmgu skills. They collected a fine grass seed
which they ground and then made into a brown damper.
They also showed children how to make a fire the
old way without matches (Mikurrunya, 29.5.81:8).
l∣
и
<
I
It
.4
ι4ι
L∣l
і
f
⅛j
4
h
1 1
f<
That is,the older marrngu teachers instruct the younger marrngu
teachers.