Bringing First Nations Knowledge to the Classroom
At Younga Yarns we aim to work in partnership with educators, teachers and educational facilities to share our broad knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal culture, histories, lore and people.
We understand how important cultural identity is to everyone and how important it is to share our cultural teachings. We believe that education is the path to true reconciliation.
Our team have designed a range of programs that help students to develop an understanding of Aboriginal culture and people. We love to engage with young people and we share our knowledge and understanding of the local Aboriginal community, languages, history and background.
Through our programs we can support teachers and engage with students sharing Aboriginal culture in an age appropriate and safe environment.
Play Group Sessions
- Story and song time we sing songs that children are familiar with and replace some words with Yuwi words introducing the idea that Aboriginal people had their own language. We do story time with teddies and books using Yuwi words and explain animal behaviors and or Aboriginal connection stories.
- Emu playtime – We talk about the emus lives and behaviors and the children make emu crowns using real emu feathers.
- Ochre Crushing and painting – kids can crush ochre or paint using stencils we talk about the giving hand and taking had in Aboriginal artworks.
- Hunting and animals – We have fun learning about hunting animals and some of the rules that the Aboriginal people lived by and then explore some hunting tools like nulla nullas and play with some animal skins
Early Years Program (Kindy – Year 2)
Sessions: 4 sessions per Program, 30 minutes each
Program 1: Introduction to Language – Teaching animal names and habits, Dreamtime stories, family names, and an introduction to First Nations culture.
Program 2: Show and Tell – Hands-on exploration of artefacts (dilly bags, wooden tools) and stories to expand cultural and language knowledge.
Program 3: No Shops Around – Story and song sessions about food gathering, hunting, and bush medicine.
Program 4: Let’s Get Creative – Art sessions using ochre, Emu feathers, seeds, and other natural resources, with traditional ochre crushing and Aboriginal flag creation.
Interactive Workshops for School-Aged Children and Adults
These workshops a 1-hour session:
- Bush Medicine Talk – Learn about native plants and their medicinal uses, including a hands-on soap bush experience.
- Yarning Circles and Ceremonies
- Bush Food Talk – Enjoy Lemon Myrtle tea tasting while learning about traditional native foods.
- Artefacts Learning – Interactive session on sustainable resource collection and traditional toolmaking.
- Weaving Workshop – Make bracelets using traditional weaving methods.
- Fire-Making Workshop (for high school/adults) – Learn traditional fire-starting techniques using flints and fire sticks.
- Ochre Crushing and Painting – Explore cultural uses of ochre, acacia resin, and traditional painting techniques.
Educational Presentations
These presentations are perfect for primary and high school students (content adjusted for age):
- Law vs. Lore – Native Title and Cultural Heritage
- Local Historical Talks – Mackay’s Aboriginal history, including early reserves and historical events.
- Moiety Family Kinship and Totems – Understanding complex Aboriginal kinship systems.
- Resin Yarns – Exploring the cultural uses of resins and natural resources.
- Borders and Wayfinding – Learning about Aboriginal travel techniques and navigation rules.
Wellness Sessions
Our wellness sessions focus on cultural awareness, mindfulness, and professional development.
- Soap Making Session – In this session we work with the participants to create our First Nations Soaps during the experience we will share what Aboriginal medicinal products are used and why. We will also share other uses for the products and the best way to use the products.
- Weaving Session – In this session we use the ancient technique of weaving to help calm the mind and create something useful and beautiful
- Tasting Session – Immerse your taste buds with a selection of First Nation Flavours
Native Garden Consultation
Local native gardens or so important to the ecological systems and we love love love talking trees!! First Nations Information on the plants will also be shared on the uses of the plants that can be displayed for future learning! We can also do a planting session with the young people explaining to them and the educators or even families! We guide educators and children in creating thriving local native gardens while teaching the cultural uses of native plants.
Cultural Awareness and Embedding First Nations Knowledge
- Educator Cultural Awareness Sessions Time: 1.5 hour
- Embedding First Nations Knowledge in Classrooms Time: 1 hours
