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4. Overview of findings: what participants said were important contributors to Indigenous children growing up strong and resilient



4.1 Starting out (0–4 years)

Theme 1: 'Starting out' examined the life experiences of children aged 0–4 years from the perspective of the working parent respondents. Participants' own 'growing up stories' provided additional insights.

Summary of important contributors to Indigenous children (babies and toddlers) having the best start in life:

Working parent respondents considered that growing up strong was linked to a child having a strong family support system and being the centre of parents' attention from the start of life. This included: feeling connected to the child during the pre and postnatal period; having ongoing interaction with the baby within a happy and positive home atmosphere; and being attentive to the child's health status and needs.

Parental child care and external child care both assist in socialising the young child. External child care can be a necessity for parents who are working or studying. However, it is important to choose a child care provider with a good reputation. Child minding undertaken by family or friends can have mixed results. As one participant observed, 'it can be easier to accept and, if necessary, criticise an external provider's style of care than that delivered by family members'.

Learning about their culture was seen as an important component in building resilience in young children. As they grow up, children can experience the influence of culture through being educated in the old ways by extended family, listening to Indigenous music, looking up to Indigenous sports stars and camping in the bush. For those who do not have extended family within the community, parents can use community activities such as NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week as cultural learning opportunities for their young children, as well as taking opportunities for them to interact with other Aboriginal people whenever possible.

One participant stressed the importance of retaining the Indigenous culture and was optimistic about the way her family encourages this:

Everything we are involved in these days—it is Westernised. Kids do not have the connection to the earth and the old times, which is sad. We get them involved in sports and education. My family goes camping … but there are so many kids that don't have that connection and would prefer to listen to rap music because they relate to it more. The family are important in giving balance and has a lot to do on influencing the kids. We still in the family listen to Indigenous singers. Our grandparents play it all the time so we have a connection to that. As Indigenous kids we are looking up to Indigenous sports stars as well. So it is still there.
(Cindy, focus group, 16 August 2005)

For other respondents, Western culture was seen as 'taking away' the Indigenous spiritual base—the connection with the earth and old times—and some people thought that there has been a loss of admiration for Indigenous leaders. There was also recognition that Indigenous history is a sad one to pass on to small children.

However, younger participants (those aged 18–25 years) in the working parents group expressed a sense of empowerment. They believe they can give their children a good life because their own experiences of growing up have taught them the life skills to raise strong children.

The young fathers' stories recorded during individual interviews (see Jack's and Peter's stories) reflected their growing up in difficult life circumstances but also showed a sense of empowerment and resilience in addressing challenges. Strong mothers and other family role models played a significant part in this, and so too, the realisation that 'family are your best friends' (see Peter's story).

Peter's story: the challenges I faced while growing up

Peter was born in Alice Springs in 1983 and lived there until he was 5 years old. The best thing about that time was the traditional food that his father, who was a surveyor, would bring back from the bush. He commented: 'That was the norm for me and my brother, and I realise now how good it was'. Peter's parents split up and he went travelling with his mother for about five years to different capital cities, living in each one for six months. They finally settled in Darwin. Reflecting on this time Peter commented: 'Basically [in] my childhood [I] was brought up on different foods. The travelling was a lot of my childhood and also the food'. Sport (AFL) was also an important part of his life as a child, but he hated school.

Peter's older brother and mother were the most significant people in his life during his childhood. His mother was then (and still is) a severe diabetic and he had to look after her. Peter also looked after his grandmother until she died. On this aspect of his life he commented: 'Family and death, and the threat of death, played a pretty big part in my maturing … and knowing the feelings of other people'. Peter's grandmother was a member of the Stolen Generation and she taught him that 'family are your best friends', and this has stuck with him.

The challenges Peter faced included growing up in the Northern Territory known for high rates of misuse of alcohol and drugs by Indigenous people. He was in an environment of being regularly stoned, drinking alcohol, and having family fights. Although Peter experienced 'a lot of bad things', he also experienced good things such as his father teaching him to control his temper. Peter has now married into the local Indigenous community in Canberra and has an 11 month-old baby boy. Both he and his wife have worked in education for several years.

Thinking about how things are different for children today compared to when he was growing up, Peter considers that kids today get it easy. For example, they receive ABSTUDY and can access support networks for court appearances (which Peter is involved in), and they know how to 'work the system', such as having babies in order to receive the $3,000 baby bonus money. He added: 'These days there are too many services for kids who can do whatever they want. Everything is a quick fix these days'. He also considers that kids have seen too much through movies and the media. They learn about sex and drugs when they are in Years 3 and 4. They know about the system and the people who are there to help them, and they use this knowledge as a power play and abuse the opportunities available to them.

Interview, 25 August 2005

For these young fathers, experiences of following traditional culture—for example, in caring for the family and eating traditional healthy food—have stayed in their memory. Experiencing the sense of achievement and strength from playing sport, as opposed to following the drug and alcohol trail, has determined the way one young father wants to live and bring up his children. Factors working against today's children growing up strong were said to include the relative lack of restriction placed on children and their easy access to a variety of services and activities, in comparison to the situation when the current generation of parents was growing up.

Jack's story: surviving and thriving 'the school of hard knocks'

Jack grew up in the ACT. The part Jack liked most about his childhood was having his brother around. His brother has always been his best mate. They have been through ups and downs but always stuck by one another. Jack also had a strong family around him. Jack's mother was the most significant person in his life. Jack commented, 'I learnt to have a kind heart from my mother, and [I learnt] that family comes first'. His mother had moved away from her family in Queensland to work in Canberra when she was 16, which was a brave move to make. She went through a lot for him and his brother and would give them her last cent if they needed it. Jack's parents split up when he was in his teens and he thinks that a father figure is really needed in one's teen years.

Another significant person in Jack's life was his mother's father, who passed away in 2000. Although Jack only saw him no more than 10 times in his whole life (because he lived in Queensland), he and Jack were 'best friends'. He taught Jack a lot over the phone and when they met. He taught Jack how to treat and pick up women, how to be strong, and how to treat his mother right. Just before he died he [Jack's grandfather] saw Jack achieve one of his goals of representing Australia in football, which meant a lot to Jack. Sport let him know in himself that he had the ability to make something of himself. He received a lot of encouragement to achieve in sport from his parents and family.

A challenge Jack faced when growing up was making sure he did not get involved in the wrong crowd. Thinking about his time at school in Canberra, Jack commented, 'We used to call our primary school the school of hard knocks'. Jack used to be a heavy drinker, which was a challenge that he has now overcome. He stuck to sport, which he said kept him going strong and still does today.

Thinking about how things are different for kids today, Jack observed:

I think kids have got it pretty tough these days with all the drugs out there. All it takes is to end up in the wrong crowd and if you're not strong enough to give up all that crap, you're stuffed for the rest of your life.

Jack has seen mates take that course. Except for his sport he could have been with them.

Interview, 25 August 2005


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4.2 Growing up (5–17 years)

This theme focused on the community's contribution to children growing up strong and ways to encourage resilience in future generations. Three focus groups discussed the 'growing up' theme covering children aged 5–17 years including: CDEP participants, service providers and members of the Uncles/Nephews Program, an innovative program providing mentoring for young males in the community. The in-depth interview survey provided additional information.

Summary of what participants said were important contributors to Indigenous children in this age group growing up strong:

The role of family and community in children growing up strong

Positive male and female role models in the family and community have many benefits for this age group. Colin's story of growing up in a country town in the 1950s presents a picture of strong male family leadership from his father, uncles and grandfather, notwithstanding his parents' separation.

Colin's story: positive experiences of growing up in the 1950s

Colin grew up in the 1950s in a country town in New South Wales. His mother and father broke up when he was 10 years old and his grandmother then became the most significant person in his life because she parented him and his two brothers. Colin grew up with a strong work ethic, which came from his background where everyone in the house worked. He was always working alongside his uncles, father and grandfather; sowing wheat or working on the tractor and learning new skills. The important thing was that he and his brothers were with their family to see what they were doing.

However, Colin decided that he did not want to do this work for a living but wanted knowledge and power. He went to high school and was the second one to go to Intermediate year. But he still worked on holidays. He also enjoyed trying other things:

I did a lot of work and chipped weeds in large paddocks. You would start at 4 am. The cow cocky would give me two litres of milk and sandwiches and I would work 16 hours a day at two shillings an hour. This was when I went to school. You needed the money to go to school and support your family. I enjoyed learning other things. As a teenager I got an apprenticeship as a TV technician. On weekends we could deliver services to all the white people. I would fix TVs on Saturday and they would pay me in lettuces and oranges—like bartering—and my brother would fix up cars.

He also enjoyed playing sport, which became an essential part of his life, but looking out for his family was also important:

My grandmother had two other families and some became good boxers. Getting into the boxing ring and playing football and doing gym with them—everybody was good at something and you would learn from them.

The biggest challenge was making sure I did not get into trouble with the cops. I had two brothers and a sister to look after, and if I was not around, they would not get what they could if I wasn't there. They would have been missing out.

Interview, 19 August 2005

In contrast to Colin's experience, however, other participants spoke of an absence of male leadership for children growing up in modern society, with the Uncles/Nephews Program in the community set up as an attempt to improve this situation (see Cliff's story below).

Cliff's story: reinventing the cycle of male leadership

'What we are trying to do in the Uncles/Nephews Program is trying to reinvent the cycle. Because of all the different aspects of society, males tend to lose responsibility and leadership in the family. You need strong male leadership for families. I have grandchildren without a father and they treat me as a father. In the Aboriginal society uncles and grandfathers take over the role of the father. It is important to keep the nucleus of the family together; and if the wife leaves, or the husband leaves, you have uncles, aunts and grandparents.'

Interview, 22 August 2005

Mothers were also seen as strong figures in past times and were the ones who dealt out discipline to the children. Today, when parents are absent, the extended family is increasingly called on to do this, usually in a gentler fashion than in the past. Grandparents are particularly successful in their ability to listen without judgment.

The community plays a huge role in children growing up strong through sport, support groups and role models such as parents with good community and work ethics. These support systems provide opportunities for keeping children on the right track through learning self-esteem and respect for themselves and others. They also play an important role in keeping children from sitting in front of TV and computers most of the day, taking drugs and drinking alcohol to excess, and also discouraging children from life choices that lead to homelessness.

Cliff described the costs to the individual of not having these family and community support networks:

It is a sense of belonging to a group of people. If you don't belong to anybody you are like a ship without a sail or a ship without a rudder. You are at the will of the kids on the street, who have a culture of their own, to be intimidated by whatever force comes along if you don't have the support of a body or a group you can relate to. And if you don't have your mother, father, uncle, aunt, or grandparents you can go one way with the kids and the culture of the street, or your family culture.
(Cliff, focus group, 18 August 2005)

Indigenous programs and Indigenous parents' support groups in the schools were seen as very worthwhile in helping children grow up strong, as suggested in the following comment:

When you talk about parents, you talk about community. I think community is so important in relation to keeping kids in school. As a community you work together to make sure kids have access to things like NAIDOC Week and what that's all about. Parents' days, Aboriginal tutors in schools and working together as a community, not just as families. It is important for us to be able to identify and not just use the resources 'cause many of us mob don't know what is available.
(Graham, focus group, 26 August 2005)

The influence of Indigenous culture while growing up

The lack of opportunity for cultural education for local children was a major concern to respondents. There was a strong feeling that exposure to Indigenous culture should be provided in the school system through properly trained teachers.

The following was typical of the comments received:

There is no culture being taught. Kids are staying at home and playing games all day. We need to get things in order to give them culture. We have Gugan Gulwan [Aboriginal Youth Centre] and Winnunga Health Centre but we need more.
(Kell, focus group, 18 August 2005)

For some respondents, their culture had been lost to them in the era of the Stolen Generation, making it difficult for them to help with their children's and grandchildren's cultural education.

Cliff observed the sad legacy of the Stolen Generation in the loss of culture within a community:

With the Stolen Generation and separation of families there has been a deliberate push not to maintain culture. In the urban areas like the ACT there are very few who have relationships back to their communities. I have always been brought up to go back to my community, for many years, in the Northern Territory where they still carry out and survive by traditional culture. There is not a lot of people who can do that. You need some revitalization. People should come down here or go back to maintain cultural connection.
(Cliff, focus group, 18 August 2005)

Steve offered a similar account of loss of culture in the era of the Stolen Generation and ways he now tries to connect his children and grandchildren with culture:

I lost a lot of my culture because my grandfather lost three sisters in the Stolen Generation and would not let his mother or aunt say they were Aboriginal but to say they were Indian. And if anybody turned up in a suit I had to collect my brother and sister and bolt down the swamp because grandfather was frightened that someone was coming to take them.
(Steve, focus group, 18 August 2005)

As a result, Steve teaches his children and grandchildren about culture because he 'never had any'. Once a month at a barbeque, he tells stories to his grandchildren that his grandfather told him, and they play the 'didge' and throw the boomerang.

Other participants also talked about ways they pass on their culture to their children. One important way of doing this was to return to their country with their children and grandchildren whenever they could.

The following accounts indicate how parents try to connect their children with their culture:

I go back to my country in Western Australia regularly and have a very strong sense of belonging, but my kids don't have as strong a connection back there. They do have an understanding of it though, and I try and pass a sense of belonging to my children and grandchildren by telling them stories, telling them where we lived, the sort of games that we played, the sorts of bush tucker we collected, how we cooked them and ate them, how we hunted. Because I'm isolated from the language I don't speak it any more.
(Jim, focus group, 26 August 2005)

Another participant made a similar point:

I love to take my kids to where I come from. I find that if I go back and take my kids, they're a part of me. They still have cousins there and a connection to where I come from. You never forget where you come from, especially that cultural aspect of things.
(Graham, focus group, 26 August 2005)

One other person noted:

My family was religious and this sort of pushed aside cultural things. We kept more connectedness with family rather than place … and that's something I will try and show my daughter. I think I've got to that age where I'm sort of searching for that cultural thing.
(June, focus group, 26 August 2005)

Encouraging resilience in future generations

Participants identified ways of encouraging resilience in future generations, particularly with regard to the strong influences of Western culture and the relative lack of Indigenous cultural education in schools. It was thought that schools should teach Indigenous culture, providing programs begin at an early age.

Aboriginal culture needs to be promoted through the school system from toddlers, because they learn then. Catch them when they are young, as well as non-Aboriginal kids and talk about Indigenous culture, and that it is different. [We] have to educate the teachers as they lack skills [in Aboriginal culture] and use their own value system to judge us. We should ask kids about what they think about teaching them. There are barriers to teaching Indigenous culture. In the Northern Territory they give Aboriginal people leave to go to ceremony.
(Cliff, focus group, 18 August 2005)

In terms of schooling more generally, having a good education with knowledge of modern technology at an early age, and the facilities to study at home, were also regarded as important contributors to children surviving and thriving in the wider world.

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4.3 Family role (0–17 years)

The family's role in bringing up strong children was discussed by the CDEP participants and the ACT grandparents focus group. Again, in-depth interview responses confirmed the focus group data.

This discussion builds on the stories from Theme 1 'Starting out' and Theme 2 'Growing up' by specifically focusing on parenting in all of its parts including views on:

Family perspectives of growing up strong

The respondents' views about children growing up strong within the family were centred on the benefits of playing sport, having goals and receiving a good education. The role of parents and grandparents in listening, giving encouragement when children feel isolated, and reinforcing the message that children can potentially do anything they want, 'providing they keep on the right track', were also important.

One grandparent told the story of how sport had shaped his grandson's life:

My grandson is 17 years old and wants to be a professional footballer. He plays first grade with the Queanbeyan Blues and has a contract with the Raiders Football Club. He travels interstate with football and does lots of training (4 nights a week). He has a level head and purchased his own car out of savings at 15 years when he was too young to drive it. He started at the age of six and got the sporting interest from his mother because his father left him when he was 18 months old. He also has a good uncle, and his cousins play football and give direction. He does not see his father.
(Mike, focus group, 15 August 2005)

In Tony's experience as a grandfather, children need a goal:

They have to have a goal. Sport is a great thing. You cannot go anywhere without education. You have to try and think about keeping them in school. My granddaughter is going right through [school] but she is keen. Her mother and me have made her keen. I sit down with her. I can't read and write much, but I listen to her. That is the most important thing for kids; you have to listen to them. If you don't listen they don't come to you with problems.
(Tony, focus group, 15 August 2005)

Cultural inclusiveness, 'the Indigenous way' of the extended family caring for and supporting children, was also seen as the best family environment for producing strong children.

Jen also believed listening and providing support to children helps them grow up strong:

Listen to kids; respect their wishes, that is, what they want to do, and give encouragement and support about how to stay on the right track. Support is important to tell them that they are not alone, as a lot of kids feel isolated. They think that the problems they experience do not happen to anyone else. You also make them feel special because they are special and they can do anything they want.
(Jen, focus group, 15 August 2005)

Also commenting on the importance of the extended family in 'growing up', one participant spoke about his experience:

As when I was a kid, the whole extended family cares for kids. Uncles and aunts have a great deal of influence over the kids and in the extended family system [they] are treated just like mums and dads, and great-uncles and great-aunts act just as grandparents. Kids are loved and treated as family by all these people. There are never any orphans in Aboriginal society because of this extended family system. So there are all these people who nurture kids and show them the right way to live. With my own grandkids, I try to provide consistency in parenting by following what my son does in raising these kids.
(Cliff, focus group, 18 August 2005)

Like in the old days, parents and grandparents still expect children to work around the house and, in that way, gain skills to be able to look after themselves. Respondents saw a need for parents to also be involved in their children's leisure activities and stressed the importance of balancing their work commitments with their family's needs. Although children may lean towards role models who are the 'stars of society', it was agreed that the most influence stems from the people they have regular contact with, that is, the family and extended family.

Sharing the experience of parenting

Respondents' appreciation of the gift of having children was evident in their enjoyment of the parenting experience, which they had learnt from their parents. With one exception, respondents agreed that their parents had taught them respect; a quality not always displayed by modern youth. The consensus was that good parenting is all about:

Not all respondents were able to learn good parenting in the family environment. One participant talked about how she took a different approach to parenting from the one she had experienced herself, and she spoke about the difficulties she had to overcome because she was a single mother:

I did not get respect from my parents. I learnt the hard way; no one showed me. I was fostered when I was twelve months. I have six kids and three grandchildren. I love them very much. I was different with my kids. I learnt the hard way but had help from the community and I had good friends … My foster parents abused me every day and they did not teach me much, and when I was 15, I left them and went back to the home.
(Ellen, focus group, 15 August 2005)

Many respondents coped in difficult situations because they had to 'keep going' for their children's sake. Being able to rely on their parents, extended family, friends and support organisations and using 'blackfella' ways—having a 'cool head'—also helped. The difficulties through which they coped included: sickness, drugs, depression, lack of parental supervision, incarceration, lack of community support, urban society influences and racism.

Valerie shared her experience of 'growing up' children in an urban environment:

They are scattered for a start … and no family. They come from different places and have no family and no support. They need a place where they feel secure. They need to talk to carers but a lot will not ask for help. People are depressed; today every one is searching; the young ones need your time and love.
(Valerie, interview, 23 August 2005)

Similarly, Colin's story (below) painted a picture of how raising Indigenous children in a rural environment can run counter to Indigenous culture and beliefs.

Colin's story: 'same place, different worlds'

'One of the things with the ACT, it is a fairly open society. You have a whole range of different viewpoints coming across from the community at any one time. While it is the political capital of Australia, it is one of the most flexible and community minded communities in Australia. It is a city as well. It is a young population. There are lots of opportunities for kids to do a whole range of different things and that includes the wrong thing as well as good things. Here there is a lot of other cultural influences as well, and I think what is wrong today, the kids have picked up Americanisms and the other cultures. Things like the Greek and Italian cultures, which are strong in the community. While Greeks and Italians have a good sense of family they have this money sense, and our kids try to follow, and it has good and bad sides.

'The kids are losing out. There is not enough support and role models in Canberra. People have come from another place and brought kids with them while they were young and coming into a new culture.

'If kids are going to be accepted they have to be accepted through the youth community and not through our own community. I think the black kids are becoming integrated now. They are able to pick a whole range of things. When I grew up we only had a certain amount. You can still become a brick layer or whatever you want to do. But why would you want to be a labourer when you could go to university and sit behind a desk and give direction?'

Interview, 19 August 2005

Learning about Indigenous culture in the family and schools

Respondents expressed regret that the negative influence of technology and Western culture prevents the natural enjoyment of the old cultural ways of interacting within the family. Respondents aged 18–25 years considered that 'children today do not know who they are' because it is too difficult to teach culture within the family, and they suggested that it should be taught in the schools. Older respondents (those aged 45–65 years) had received only parts of their culture from family, but were endeavouring to pass on what they knew.

The following three respondents aged between 18 and 25 years presented their views and experiences of learning Indigenous culture. One participant considered that:

Kids today do not know who they are. They are interested in drugs and alcohol and running amuck. Probably 10 or 20 years ago kids would have been interested in who they are and where they come from. Nowadays its not there, it's just getting lost. This might have happened because the family are not good role models or they might have been hanging around with the wrong crowd. When the Elders pass away there is nothing left. Who is there to teach you your culture? You don't know who you are and it is a shame.
(Anne, focus group, 23 August 2005)

One other person reported that he did not know anything about his culture and his people. It was not taught when he went to school. He had always wanted to know and his grandfather knew, but he had left it too late to ask him.

It [cultural education] should be in every school. You have to get to them early. In families, you're proud to be black and that's where you stop. There's not culture around, that is our culture to be proud of, as far as I can see.
(Jack, interview, 25 August 2005)

A third respondent also emphasised the importance of teaching cultural appreciation in schools:

This doesn't happen in the schools here. Schools should teach the local Indigenous language and appreciation of Indigenous culture in the schools to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Within families nothing is proactive, it's all reactive. You can't sit down with families for 2–3 hours a day, which is what you need to teach Indigenous culture in families. So it shouldn't be up to families but rather Indigenous culture should be taught by institutions such as schools, and cultural centres.
(Peter, interview, 25 August 2005)

Ways of encouraging resilience in the future

Respondents also suggested various ways of encouraging resilience in future generations. The views of the older generation (those aged 55–65 years) are represented by Cliff in his story, which emphasises the following pathways to resilience:


Cliff's story: pathways to a better future for our kids

'We need to set standards and make sure we keep our individuality as Indigenous people in society. It takes courage to want something better for your kids and we have to make sure that our kids are able to emulate us and our jobs if they want to. We need family influence to maintain our culture. It is very difficult to be part of both worlds. The domination of Western culture can affect Indigenous people who make it to the top. They can still be black but then their Aboriginality takes second place to other concerns. We need to make sure that people place their Aboriginality first. We need to tell our kids about the dangers of society such as the danger of drug addicts and paedophiles in our local communities and stranger danger. We need to provide more service providers with training on how to be culturally appropriate and sensitive with Indigenous people, such as has been done with the police force through a booklet.'

Interview, 22 August 2005

The views of the younger generation (aged 18–25 years) are represented by Peter in his interview responses, and include the importance of:


Peter's story: learning to be strong from your journeys

'You can't just give kids all the responsibilities and no rights. Kids have to understand the power they possess just by being alive and Aboriginal. Kids need to understand that for every year you mess up it takes you four years to catch up. Kids need to understand that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow called education. You have to understand how you're going to get to that place. You have to choose which colour of the rainbow to take in life. It's a hard decision but you have to make it yourself.'

Interview, 25 August 2005


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4.4 The role of services

The fourth theme, 'the role of services' in supporting the development of resilient children, was discussed by the 'Uncles/Nephews' and service providers groups.8

Overall, respondents considered that the ACT/Queanbeyan community was reasonably well catered for in terms of health, education and other support services provided by Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations. At the time of this trial, Gugan Gulwan Aboriginal Youth Corporation, Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service and Boomanulla Oval were the main services used by the local Indigenous community. However, there were some difficulties that reduced the effectiveness of these services in supporting children's development. These included: pressure on the resources of the youth corporation and health service; transport problems for families on low incomes in accessing these services; and difficulty paying for prescription medicines.

In regard to the role of education services, respondents considered that the mentoring which children received from Aboriginal Liaison and Education Officers positively supported school retention. However, this service was not adequately resourced to provide the necessary regular contact with the children, particularly where there was a lack of strong parental support (a negative aspect of modern-day life), which negatively affected school attendance. Transition programs that prepared students to move from high school to college (Years 11 and 12 in the ACT school system) were also crucial in stopping children from dropping out of school at this transition point.

Participation in sport, which provided a sense of achievement, was also important in this process. The respondents concluded that there should be an increase in Indigenous teacher numbers and that Indigenous preschools could assist children to learn about their Indigenous identity and culture. It was hoped that the Indigenous Cultural Centre in Canberra would become a cultural base for the community to support cultural teaching in schools.

Marjorie, whose story appears at the end of this section, grew up in a time of strict government control and experienced poor education, work and living conditions. However, teaching by her Elders provided a cultural and spiritual education, which encouraged hope, dignity, good manners, self-respect and respect for others. Marjorie perceived that her generation was powerless in the wake of racial discrimination, and her experiences of growing up differed markedly from children's experiences today.

Other respondents reported that forms of racial discrimination continued to be experienced at school by children today and decreased the chances of Indigenous students obtaining an effective education and good employment. Respondents believed that more widespread knowledge about Indigenous culture could help to overcome racist behaviour towards Indigenous people. Cross-cultural training for teachers, teachers taking responsibility to actively assist and understand Indigenous students, and the introduction of student cultural awareness programs in schools were seen as starting points. It was also noted that cultural awareness programs had been introduced into the police force with success. Unfortunately, according to respondents, governments have not fared as well in exhibiting cross-cultural awareness in delivering services.

Marjorie's growing up story

Marjorie was born in 1931 in a country town near Canberra. Her father's parents were descendents of the Ngunnawal people and her mother's parents were descendents of the Wiradjuri people. As a child she lived in a gundgi; a build-it-yourself house made with stringy bark walls and tin roof. They had no electricity. A kerosene drum was used to collect drinking water from the roof and the family did their washing in the dam. Marjorie's father died when she was 8 years old.

Nevertheless, Marjorie has memories of a happy childhood. The children had a horse that they had to look after. They went fishing in the river and sometimes travelled for two days to another country town, camping overnight on the way. People were musical and there were birthdays and parties. The women would prepare the food.

The local mission school catered for children aged between 8 and 14 years of age, and Marjorie attended from first to third year. In addition, there was always the guidance of parents and grandparents, which meant learning about culture and learning to respect the Elders who taught them how to survive. However, the Elders stopped using their language fearing that welfare would take children away— Marjorie's mother and her aunt were the first two girls in Cootamundra Girls' Home. Although she was part of the Stolen Generation, her mother was positive about the future. She wanted to move on and said that policies would change. She lived to 93 years of age.

Like her childhood years, Marjorie's life as a teenager was also good. There were hard times, but there were more good than bad times. This was because of the help Marjorie received from her family and learning from their experience. Marjorie and her family lived by the rules of the times. Being with the family, working for the family, and having fun were some of the things Marjorie enjoyed most about that time. Her grandfather told stories and played the violin at non-Indigenous bush dances. The nuns on the mission and the police helped the Indigenous people slot in with the mainstream community. This was through sport, music, and work. The police were good when they connected with the Aboriginal community but before that point they had no respect for Aboriginal people.

Racial discrimination was prevalent when Marjorie was growing up and it was her biggest challenge. For example, she and her friends could not go into town unless they were with a selected Elder who had to report to the police. In the shops, the shopkeeper would take the money from Aboriginal people and then ask them to go around the back to collect the goods.

Marjorie was one of the first of three local Indigenous women allowed to give birth at the hospital. However, Indigenous patients were put in a ward at the back and had to use the back door. They could not talk to non-Indigenous people and could not move across a yellow line on the floor. In the movie theatre, they had to sit down the front and use the outside toilet. Indigenous people had to shower before using the swimming pool.

Despite these restrictions, they kept their dignity and followed the advice of Marjorie's grandmother who said, 'You never take the shack to town—meaning that you go out clean and tidy and well mannered'. Marjorie continues to live by this today. In Marjorie's words about these times, 'We lived reconciliation'. Under these circumstances they got through with parents' guidance and the Elders saying 'change is coming'.

Compared to children today, Marjorie feels she had a more cultural and spiritually-based upbringing. In her day, her parents and the welfare made her go to school, but children these days do not want to go to school, despite there being a lot of incentives in regard to education and employment, and children can go anywhere they want. There is also government support available now. She observed that in spite of all of these opportunities, children have different troubles today, because 'these are fast times, but materialism does not breed spirit'.

Interview, 15 August 2005


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4.5 Summary and conclusion

The ACT metro/Queanbeyan region represents a contemporary urban/regional Aboriginal population in which people come from different places, experience various work circumstances, have diverse influences and many stories to tell.

A number of good news stories, recorded as part of the 'growing up' interviews and focus groups, highlighted examples of happy childhoods where strong family and extended family support systems, positive role models, and the learning of culture from Elders built resilience in young children. The importance of having goals and the need for a good education were also emphasised. Historical accounts provided descriptions of how certain activities, such as work or sport and music events, enabled Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to build relationships and get to know one another, and to gain a sense of 'lived reconciliation' (see Marjorie's story).

These stories surfaced in spite of the lived experiences of racism, premature death and a history of children being removed from their family. Access to a range of services that provided health, education and cultural supports through Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations was also vital in the development of resilient children.

This qualitative research—the stories—made an important contribution to the overall preparatory work for the future Footprints in Time study. These data enriched the evaluation and allowed the researchers to tell a comprehensive story about the important contributors to Indigenous children growing up strong and resilient in different contexts. The telling of these stories and their analysis were used to inform the design and content of the Footprints in Time study.

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Appendix A: History and demography of the ACT metro/Queanbeyan region

3. Method for the ACT metro/Queanbeyan trial