Koorie Heritage in Melbourne

Our first adventures in Melbourne took us to the Koorie Heritage Trust and Cultural Museum.  This organization aims to protect, preserve and promote the living culture of Aboriginal people of south-eastern Australia.  We learned the motto of the trust: "‘Gnokan Danna Murra Kor-ki’ which means "Give me your hand my friend."  Like us, the docents at this center believe that education is the beginning to a bridge between the cultural and socio-economic gaps in our communities.  The Trust conducts many programs in Indigenous education.  The goal is to develop an understanding of the contributions from the many culturally diverse groups that make up the Melbourne community.  Students learn about how changes to Indigenous people and environment are still occurring.  This experience reaffirmed the importance that culture plays in our own students' lives.  We see value in working to sustain the rich heritage of the families within the Clark community.  We were showered with literature and resources from our gracious hosts.  These will be so helpful when we share the research findings with our colleagues.