Aboriginal music in your classroom A Tasmanian perspective

Aboriginal music in your classroom: A Tasmanian perspective Theresa Sainty (Do. E, Aboriginal Education Service) & Bill Baker (UTAS, Faculty of Education)

pulingina (welcome) • lutruwita milaythina-pakana; milaythina-mana; milaythina ningimpi, nungampi • kani mina milaythina-nanya? (Where is your Country? ) Theresa

Reflection • I have learnt much through my collaboration with Theresa for this presentation. My knowledge of Tasmanian Aboriginal culture prior to our collaboration was shamefully limited. • I started of course from my own cultural background, as a white, male, academic, who needs to put capitals for names, and to write strictly controlled words and sentences because that is what you do. • Through the collaboration I have come to understand respect other ways of thinking and communicating experience. • The collaboration has been of value for this cross-cultural understanding alone. • Thank you Theresa for your patience and understanding. Bill Our presentation is in three parts: 1. Aboriginal culture and history in lutruwita (Tasmania). 2. Points to consider when including Aboriginal music in your classroom. 3. Examples of some resources available including one prepared by the AES called ‘Songlines of the Moonbird’ and an alignment of aspects of this

lutruwita • • • Aborigines have been in lutruwita since palawa, the first black man was created from Mother Earth by Moihernee Since Creation, lutruwita has supported approximately nine language groups. Each language group or Nation was divided into smaller Groups, possibly speaking dialects of the same language.

Invasion • • • In 1803 the British invasion and occupation of lutruwita commenced at Risdon Cove. Country was systematically carved up. Hunting grounds that had been managed by Aborigines since time began were lost as the land grab spread across the island. Important places within Country were no longer accessible. Aboriginal Nations were disappearing as a result of introduced diseases and hostilities perpetrated by the invaders. On May 3 rd 1804 the Mumirimina were hunting wallaby at Risdon Cove. Lieutenant Bowen’s soldiers fired on the group, killing and wounding many. This is the first known massacre of Aboriginal people by the British. The settlement’s doctor collected some of the bodies, dissected them, packed them in lime to remove the flesh. He sent two barrels full of human skeletal remains to Sydney for ‘scientific interest’. First example of grave robbing. A Mumirimina boy who survived the Risdon killings was taken from his people that day. He was christened by the Rev. Robert Knopwood Robert Hobart May. We don’t know what happened to him. The first stolen child?

Resistance Image courtesy Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery • Malapuwinarana (Maulboyheenner), a resistance fighter, also known as Timmy, and Small boy, was from North East Tasmania. He was executed by hanging in Melbourne on 20 th January 1842. • Tanaminawayt (Tunnerminnerwait) was another, also known as Piway and Cape Grim Jack was born on Robbins Island off the North West coast of Tasmania. He was executed by hanging in Melbourne on 20 th January 1842. Image courtesy Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery • Aborigines continued to defend their country, and the Government became frustrated, employing George Augustus Robinson in 1832 to negotiate an end to the war. • With the promise of being able to return to their homelands, Aboriginal leaders and their people reluctantly agreed to accompany Robinson to a place white people called Wybalenna. Within days they were dispatched to Flinders Island. They never saw their Country again. • At Wybalenna, Aborigines were given English names, forced to stop speaking their languages and practicing culture, and in a short space of time, many died. In 1847, 47 surviving Aborigines were moved to Oyster Cove. Robinson was paid nearly £ 1000 and granted 2500 acres of Aboriginal land for his “success”.

Survival • Since approximately 1798, British and American sealers had begun violent raids on tribes to steal women to take to the islands to use as slaves. Most of the women were taken from the country between Port Dalrymple (now Georgetown) and Swanport. The women were treated cruelly, and many died. Nine women who survived began families on the islands. Most Tasmanian Aborigines today are descended from those families and a few other women from the east/north east. • In 1881, a reserve was established for the 80 people living on Cape Barren Island. The reserve system acted to control the island community’s livelihood and movements. The Cape Barren Island Reserve Act of 1912 acknowledged Aboriginal identity. Ironically, in 1951 in accordance with the assimilation policy, the Reserve Act was abolished and the people again became non-Aboriginal. An aerial view of the Corner, Cape Barren Island

Survival • From the 1940 s to the 1970 s, unemployment and State Government policy of assimilation drove the people from Cape Barren and other islands in Bass Strait. Today, Cape Barren is a small community consisting of people who have never left the island, and families who move back & forth between Cape Barren & Flinders Island mainland Tasmania. • The history of this Country is our shared history. The Tasmanian Aboriginal community has grown to be the community we are today as a direct result of that history. We continue to practice culture, passing on cultural knowledge as our People have done since Moihernee created palawa

All Aborigines are not the same • The Australian Curriculum Cross-Curriculum Priority ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures’ identifies two distinct Indigenous groups in Australia: Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. These broader societies encompass a diversity of nations across Australia. • This allows for curriculum content to be localised and contextualised by the teacher. While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are not the same, there a number of commonalities. It is important to explore both societies - but to begin locally. • Some commonalities between these groups include: • ways which cultural knowledge is passed down through the generations • language is oral • grammatical features of (Aboriginal) languages • connection to country, and all things within country • knowledge of the stars, environment, weather • seasonal movements • gender-specific roles • song & dance are pivotal in transmission of knowledge • The Cross Curriculum Priority provides opportunities to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and content, to experiment with cultural resources, but not to become experts in Aboriginal culture.

Begin Locally… • • ‘Begin locally’ means that in Tasmania you include Tasmanian Aboriginal content and perspectives. Don’t just focus on the past. Include an Aboriginal perspective from the beginning of the unit, and not as an ‘after-thought’. Where possible involve a Tasmanian Aboriginal Community member, which could be a family member of a student at your school, Aboriginal community member who lives in the area, AEW, AEYLO, or an AEO. AES may be able to assist you with contacting an Aboriginal community member. NOTE: Tasmanian Aboriginal practices do not include, dot painting, didgeridoos or boomerangs.

Critical discernment: Ensure the material you include is authentic and accurate Consider: • What is the purpose and intent for the selection of the materials? • Is the material accurate and authentic? • Is the material respectful of Aboriginal people – are Aboriginal people presented in a positive way? • Does the material include appropriate terminology? • Who has produced/developed the material? • Is the material endorsed by the relevant Aboriginal community? Please refer to the detailed handout in your conference bag

Tasmanian Aboriginal Music An historic example of Tasmanian Aboriginal music. The only known recording of Tasmanian Aboriginal language, including a song is by Fanny Cochrane Smith and was recorded by Dr Horace Watson in 1899. Fanny Cochrane Smith (1834 -1905) Image: http: //www. dpac. tas. gov. au/divisions/csrt/infor mation_and_resources/significant_tasmanian_ women/significant_tasmanian_women__research_listing/fanny_cochrane_smith https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=C 0 KA 1 Ajw. IS 4 BUT. Tasmanian Aboriginal music is so much more than music of past generations. Please think beyond this. Today there is a rich and living culture of Tasmanian Aboriginal music to access for use in your classroom.

milaythina With revival of language, Aborigines are writing songs in language. The video below is to the performance of a song written by some community members, and Dewayne Everettsmith put it to music, and has since recorded a version of it. The first recording of a song in Tasmanian Aboriginal language since Fanny Cochrane Smith’s songs milaythina nika milaythinamana This land is my land tapilti larapuna, tapilti putalina From Eddystone Point, to Oyster Cove tapilti kunanyi, tapilti tayaritja From Mount Wellington to the Bass Strait Islands milaythina nika waranta pakana This land is us blackfellas waranta palawa, milaythina nika We blackfellas are this land Written by Roger Sculthorpe, Heather Sculthorpe, June Sculthorpe, Chris Mansell, Di Cook and Theresa Sainty from the Tasmanian Aboriginal community and sung in palawa kani by Dewayne Everettsmith. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=r. A 80 sa G 1 c 3 Q

Songlines of the Moonbird Aboriginal elder from Cape Barren Island Ronnie Summers talking about and singing the song written by his wife Dyan entitled ‘Songlines of the Moonbird’. The song is inspired by a poem by Japanangka Errol West – cousin of Dyan. This was recorded at the National Library Folk Fellowship concert in 2010. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=UKZTH 3 ZGob. Y • Aboriginal Education has produced a wonderful, thorough resource to support the incorporation of this song into curriculum. • This resource includes a beautifully illustrated story book, an i. Book, a CD and a teacher resource aligned with both the EYLF and the National Curriculum. • The resource is linked directly to the cross-curriculum priority embedded in Maths, Geography, English, History, Science, and the Arts.

Songlines of the Moonbird: 7 -8 The next two slides outline the ways in I wish to thank Ronnie Curriculum which two of the Content Descriptors are Summers for his trust in easily aligned with this song: • MAKING. ACAMUM 094 Practise and rehearse a variety of music, including Australian music to develop technical and expressive skills. • RESPONDING. ACAMUR 097 ‘Analyse composers’ use of the elements of music and stylistic features when listening to and interpreting music’. See next slide. allowing me to start a transcription of this piece. Excerpts from the AE resource

ACAMUM 094 Practise and rehearse a variety of music Considering viewpoints – societies, cultures and histories: • What is the social context of this piece and for whom would it be performed? • Who are Dyan and Ronnie? • Where do they live? • What protocols should be negotiated in seeking access to Aboriginal art works? • What is the cultural context of this piece and what does it signify? • What are ‘songlines? ’ • What is the ‘moonbird’? • In the poem what might Errol mean by “And yet there is no one to teach me the songs…. ”? • What instruments and other features of the music indicate it is from a particular time and place? • What is ‘Island music’? • Ronnie refers to: ‘flat fingers [A], Hank’s chord – Hank William’s chord [E], Carter family’s chord [C], three fingers on the bottom [D] & over the top or two fingers over the top [G] on page 120 of his book. How does this relate to an oral tradition? • Cape Barren ‘H’. These guiding questions and observations may be found in the AE Resource.

ACAMUR 097: Composers’ use of elements ELEMENTS Pitch • Chords: Major primary triads I, IV, V in simple chord progressions. • Seventh chord. ELEMENTS Time Signature/Rhythm • Simple triple time ELEMENTS Rhythm • Dotted notes, • Dotted crotchet rests. SKILLS Recognising rhythmic patterns and beat groupings. • Clapping 4 and 8 bar patterns. • Singing and clapping 4 and 8 bar patterns. • Writing them down. • Ostinato, providing beat. SKILLS Imitating simple melodies and rhythms using voice and instruments • Echo singing • Call and response • Solfege ELEMENTS Pitch • Reading Treble clef ELEMENTS Form and structure • Repetition 2 x 8 bars • Contrast chorus 2 x 8 bars • Verse – Chorus structure ELEMENTS Texture • Homophony: (melody and chord) ELEMENTS Timbre • Voice and guitar SKILLS Discriminating between pitches, recognising intervals and familiar chord progressions. • Matching chords to melodic lines • Finding major thirds!