Nitmiluk National Park turned into a place of celebration and knowledge-sharing this week, when more than a hundred remote middle and senior school students, teachers, principals, rangers and coordinators from across the Northern Territory came together to celebrate ten years of the Learning on Country Program.
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A joint initiative between Aboriginal ranger groups and remote community schools, the program integrates 'both ways learning' into secondary school curriculums, increasing school retention and options for pathways to employment.
It's this combination of curriculum and culture that supports remote Aboriginal students to walk strong in two worlds.
By bringing together ranger groups' valuable knowledge of land and sea management, and guided by Traditional Owners, the Learning on Country program plays a key role in developing the next generation of rangers and custodians in and out of the classroom.
Learning on Country Chairwoman Cindy Jinmarabynana said the program gave Indigenous students across the Top End 'knowledge and safety on country'.
"Working with old people and rangers ensures the important stories and connections are passed down to the next generation," she said.
The initiative has been instrumental in developing strong partnerships in the Territory at both a community and regional level, while providing meaningful employment opportunities and upskilling for Indigenous people.
At the opening ceremony of the tenth anniversary celebrations, Northern Land Council Chairman Samuel Bush-Blanasi welcomed an announcement from Minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, that funding for the Learning on Country Program would be extended for six years to 2028.
"The Northern Land Council is proud to administer the Learning on Country Program, which has gone from strength to strength over the last 10 years," Mr Bush-Blanasi said.
"This funding will help ensure that more remote Indigenous students have access to an education pathway that supports them to walk strong in our culture and balanda culture.
"Our children are the future and I want to see them get the right education and go on to live healthy and fulfilling lives and care for their families, community and country - this program creates that pathway for them."
The addition of $29.4 million will expand the program's footprint to a total of 19 sites, up from 15, and include both middle and senior school students.
Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Linda Burney said the Australian Government was proud to support this strong community-led program which facilitates 'two way' learning and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
"Supporting First Nations students to engage with their schooling in this way and prioritise learning on Country nurtures an increased sense of identity and self-esteem," the Minister said.
"By integrating culture and country into the school curriculum, remote Aboriginal students can walk strong in both worlds and be given more paths to success.
"This significant investment will ensure many more young people benefit from this program for years to come and remain strongly connected and proud of their traditional knowledge systems."
Since its inception in 2012, the Learning on Country Program footprint has grown from four to 15 sites across the Top End, including schools from Yirrkala in East Arnhem Land to Borroloola, Ngukurr, Beswick and Barunga.
In front of a crowd of more than 200 guests, former Learning on Country Program student Jonah Ryan passionately spoke about his experience with the program.
"My old man always told me about bush tucker, and when Learning on Country started, I thought this is my opportunity to be a ranger," he said.
In 2017, as a secondary student from Maningrida School, building on skills and experiences has learnt through the program, a young Jonah took part in a paid internship with the Djelk Ranger unit, creating a pathway for his future.
Now 22, the young man has since made his dream come true and works as a full-time ranger. But he is also teaching the next generation of young Indigenous people.
"Ever since I got my green shirt on, I look at myself in the mirror and can't believe that I made it.
"I'm a real ranger now.
"I can tell the young ones, 'you don't have to be really smart - you just need to be strong and hardworking, so just keep moving forward'."
Member for Katherine, Jo Hersey, said she was delighted about the three-day celebrations in Katherine, and particularly enjoyed hearing the young ranger's success story.
"The passion from Jonah filled my heart with hope that this program will pick up and advance in other communities," she said.