Seleena, a young advocate, found inspiration at the NIYEC Dream Design Summit in Naarm, where she learned to question her 'I don't know' responses.
To start this off let’s do a little activity together. I want you to respond to these three questions with “I don’t know”, have you got that?
- Question one; “In 10 years’ time what clothes will you be wearing?”. I don’t know.
- Question two; “In 10 years’ time what shoes will you be wearing?”. I don’t know.
- Question three; “In 10 years’ time what will your hair look like?”. I don’t know.
Now I’m going to ask you these questions again but this time I want you to respond with “I wonder”.
- Question one; “In 10 years’ time what clothes will you be wearing?”. I wonder.
- Question two; “In 10 years’ time what shoes will you be wearing?”. I wonder.
- Question three; “In 10 years’ time what will your hair look like?”. I wonder.
- I wonder…
When we first collectively came together, instead of diving straight into the Summit content, the deadly Hayley McQuire, CEO of the National Indigenous Youth Education Coalition (NIYEC) did this exact icebreaker with us. The purpose to shift the way we think and allow ourselves to dream, imagine, wonder. Instantly when changing our answers from ‘I don’t know’ to ‘I wonder’, my inner child smiled and I knew the next two days of the Dream Design National Summit would be inspiring, uplifting, empowering.
Over two days on Wurundjeri Country in Victoria, Blak excellence was on display with a room full of young, like-minded, staunch mob taking our education into our own hands. We yarned, cried, laughed and cared for one another, sometimes reflecting on past trauma while also looking to the future. We were posed questions like, “How will you be a good ancestor?” “What does your dream learner look like?” “How do we empower mob?”.
We looked at the way treaty-making processes are taking shape across Australia, States and Territories and how it can play a role in future decision making. Concepts like self-governance, self-determination and sovereignty were on the table while we worked through a collective agreement on how we can ensure we contribute to creating equitable outcomes for young First Nations peoples.
NIYEC’s purpose,
“To mobilise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to drive a new education ecosystem where we can govern and self-determine an education of our own design, for the future of our Nations.”
To say I learnt so much is an understatement. Not only did I learn but I grew, grew as a Kalkutungu woman, as an emerging leader in my community, as a friend, daughter, sister, as a person. The Summit reconfirmed my purpose in life; to help contribute to positive change for mob. The profound impact of being around other deadly First Nations people with that same purpose was refreshing. Sometimes as a young person trying to make change in a country that has never been ready for change is hard and you feel isolated. This experience proved that I am not alone, that there is a number of mob out there with that same passion and drive, mob that I am happy to say are now like Malthaaya (family).
So what’s next? I have a series of new connections, networks and opportunities from the Summit so how can I use this to benefit my community, young people and their education in Mount Isa? I have a few ideas in the pipeline so watch this space!
My ultimate goal though, I want young First Nations peoples who go to school in Mount Isa to receive the most culturally safe education, something they deserve, something that is their right as Indigenous peoples…something that I didn’t have. I want them to know they can have aspirations, that they will be supported to reach their goals. I want them to have the confidence to be themselves, to learn about culture, to share it if they want, to be in control of how our people are represented.
“So what will the future of First Nations education look like in this nation, this state, this community?” I don’t know I wonder.
For more information about the deadly work being done at NIYEC head to their website: www.niyec.com/ or follow them on socials.