Kaya.
AISWA offices are situated in close proximity to Herdsman Lake. The lake was traditionally called Ngurgenboro. AISWA would like to acknowledge the Wadjak Noongar people as the Traditional Owners/Custodians of this land and their rich social, spiritual and historical connection to this country.
AISWA's Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has now been officially endorsed by Reconciliation Australia and the AISWA Board ready for the beginning of the 2024 school year.
The publication of the AISWA Reconciliation Action Plan addresses our commitment to 'promote reconciliation through our sphere of influence' and to 'communicate our commitment to reconciliation publicly'.
The RAP was launched in 2018 with the commissioning of a collaborative artwork. This tells the story of the Djilba springtime season, when bilya (waterways and lakes) are full and djet (wildflowers) are in bloom, creating the colours of land on Noongar boodja (Country).
Image: The Djilba artwork has been used on the RAP cover page. It was created by the AISWA staff in 2018 under the watchful guidance of Noongar artist Jenny Knapp.
- Jenny Knapp - artist
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Jenny Knapp is an Aboriginal artist from the Nyungar Goreng language group in Gwowangerup. Her wirrin (spirit) connection is to the Menang people near Israelite Bay (near Esperance) in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. Her love of art has taken her to various locations across Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities of WA, telling the stories and knowledge of her artwork that comes with the colours of Nyungar lands and its six seasons.
The AISWA team is committed to the RAP. It takes a significant amount of thought, discussion, negotiation and learning to produce an authentic actionable plan. But that, of course, is part of the journey. We appreciate the input and cultural generosity of our First Nations staff members. The published RAP can be downloaded as a PDF (via the menu on the left).
Image: New Executive Director of AISWA, Chris Massey, was welcomed with a smoking ceremony conducted by Barry Winmar. The ceremony symbolised a cultural handover of place and space from Valerie Gould to Chris, the smoke cleansing the space for a new leader to emerge (Sept, 2022).
Acknowledgement of Country
AISWA respectfully acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we operate, the Wadjak people of the Noongar nation. We pay our respects to Aboriginal Elders past, present, and emerging, as the Traditional Owners of the lands across Australia and acknowledge their continued connection to the land, waters, and community. As we embark on this new Strategic Plan, we are guided by the principles of equity, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity.
We recognise that a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with Traditional Owners is essential to our success and to the benefit of our community. In all our actions, we commit to fostering cultural awareness and working collaboratively towards a shared future of reconciliation, respect, and prosperity.