LEARNING about Indigenous ways of life through lived experience, Class 10 students at Chrysalis Steiner School, Thora are taking a trip to Arnhem Land in the far north Northern Territory.

The students will be guided by their teacher, Zac Panarettos, who is organising the trip from experience, having participated in past school trips from Lismore and Sydney to the NT.

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The Chrysalis students will set off on Wednesday 24 May and return three weeks later on Monday 15 June.
“It’s a pivotal trip for their life journey,” Zac told News Of The Area.

“The main idea is for the students to immerse themselves in Indigenous culture in Arnhem Land, to gain an appreciation for the wealth of knowledge and traditions.

“They will see the socioeconomic disadvantages faced by Indigenous communities in remote areas such as lack of job opportunities and housing, whilst also seeing how relevant the culture is to the new generations in the top end.”

The students will come back with more questions than answers, Zac projects, and that’s a good outcome, he said.

The students have been preparing for the trip for a year and a half, having been introduced to the opportunity when they were in Class 9.

The goal is for students to undertake a community project.

“Instead of prescribing an idea for what we think might work, we have carefully liaised with community elders to come up with something meaningful for the community that they truly feel would benefit them,” said Zac.

“Jacob Nayinggul, who was instrumental in bringing bones stolen from burial sites and taken to America, back to Australia, had an outstation where he was the custodian.

“His gravesite is there and needs a little bit of work; Connie is going to put our kids to work to bring his gravesite up to the standard he deserves.”

Connie is a guide and custodian for that land.

“Connie lives at the house these days, she has asked us to fix up Jacob’s grave site, fully fencing it and landscaping it with native plants.”

The chook shed has a hole and they are going to fix that too, so that the dingoes won’t get to the chickens.

To get a grasp of how school works up there, they will stay in Mikkinj Valley for four days and attend Gunbalanya school classes.

At the school they will do some landscaping, too.

“They will be able to develop relationships and keep in touch once they’ve left.”

Neighbouring Gunbalanya is the village of Oenpelli where the Injalak Art Centre is located.

“Some of the best of Australia’s Indigenous art comes from here,” said Zac.

A highpoint of the students’ trip will take place here, meeting Jacob’s daughter, Connie, who is a talented artist.

Connie uses a crosshatching style, painting with a handmade brush of fine hairs to achieve the finest of lines.

The students will experience the arts and crafts workshops in the centre.

Included in their time in NT is a three-day walk in Litchfield National Park which will contribute to their Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

“By this time, they will have spent some time learning from country and will have a new appreciation for country.”

The students have been fundraising for the trip for eighteen months to cover the cost of the trip and to have money to buy materials to build and repair infrastructure in the communities they visit.

“Anyone wanting to support this project can visit the helpful GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/bcc89314,” said Zac.

“The more money we have the more gear we can take to help up there,” said Zac.

Teacher, Zac, is a resident of Boambee and has lived in Numbulwar in the Northern Territory, a grounding experience that influences how he lives today.

By Andrea FERRARI