An event will be held in Katherine this weekend to explore the links between trauma and poor education outcomes.
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The film and forum will run from 1-4pm on Saturday at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre.
Australia’s leading expert on Indigenous intergenerational trauma Judy Atkinson along with Aboriginal elder and retired principal Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr will host the event.
The pair will lead interactive discussion following the screening of a documentary film on the subject called ‘Paper Tigers’.
‘Paper Tigers’ is an award-winning documentary that follows a year in the life of an alternative high school in North America that has radically changed its approach to disciplining its students, becoming a promising model for how to break the cycles of poverty, violence and disease that affect some families.
Professor Atkinson and Dr Ungunmerr will share insights on the film from their vast experience and suggest how educators can improve outcomes for Indigenous student.
Professor Atkinson is an Indigenous woman from the Jiman (central west Queensland) and Bundjalung (northern New South Wales) nations.
Professor Atkinson said schools can be incredibly helpful places for healing and hoped the event would help educators provide break-throughs with their students, especially those difficult ones who come from troubled backgrounds.
“The biggest challenge we face is the pain we carry that still influences who we are and what is happening in our families,” Prof Atkinson said.
“We have such high suicide, incarceration, child removal rates and yet no one seems to want to talk about this or get down to the healing that must be done if we are to turn things around.”
Dr Ungunmerr said children needed support when they were trying to find themselves.
“Sometimes kids in pain act out in ways that then have them shunned or disregarded, but these are actually the kids that need our attention the most,” Dr Ungunmerr said.
“We have to learn new ways to support them so they know they belong and are of value in our society.”
Entry is $25 per person, payable at the door.
The money raised by the events will be used by the Miriam Rose Foundation to continue their work empowering Indigenous youth through education, art, culture and horizon expanding opportunities.
