SRC Winners: High School

Where I stand, there is history

Memories that we cannot ignore

A pull too strong to leave behind

Something we must acknowledge

A part of the land that we learn on together

We learn the history of the Land.

We learn the meaning of the Land.

We learn the beginning of the Land.

Bridging the differences we have made

So we know the story of where we stand, and what came before us

A land, that we were told was Terra Nullius

Lies strung by thread, a false foundation built for a country we call home.

A Home that was claimed before us

A Culture that was stolen

 

We keep it alive,

the Stories, the Connection, the Culture

Learning about their past,

Learning about how we came to be,

Learning about the Culture around us

From their hands to ours,

They pass on their culture to us

From their hands to ours,

We nurse the stories they’ve told.

From their hands to ours,

We open our eyes to a land we don’t really know

A path to connecting Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples

 

We must continue speaking the truth

The legacy of the land tells the stories before us.

Tell the generations of how we came to be

How we became who we are. Be honest.

We do not downplay the past for the future generations

We make a way to continue the Culture

This is not limited to me, or you,

but to everyone who stands with us.

Around us.

We learn together, not as two, but one.

Feeding the connection the First Nations have created with the Land

Learning from the Country, that they first had

The soil beneath my feet, is the same soil the Elders once stood upon. The wind echoes their whispers, telling their stories, dancing their dances, and exploring the land they still called home.

This soil isn’t just what lies beneath my feet, this soil lives, breathes, and follows the years of traditions alongside the Elders.

These same Elders once taught, learnt, and shared on this soil beneath my feet. The soil we use now to share their stories, remember their bravery, and uphold the legacies they built while learning their way of life.

The sophisticated agriculture systems working in their natural rhythms to form the land and shape this country.

This soil, once Terra Nullius, unrightfully claimed, now bringing people together and sharing the battles fought by those who came before us, bringing stewardship upon this soil.

Through the spirit of these Elders we unite on Dharug Country.