Archives for June 2014 | Nan's Lucky Duck

Cultural Differences Between the Indigenous and Non-Indigenous People Living on Groote Eylandt

We are all born into an ‘acculturation process’. The moment we open our eyes, images flood our spongy, undeveloped brain, and ‘voila’, life has been pre-written for us in many ways without our choosing, or knowing for that matter. It’s almost inconceivable to weigh up exactly which parts of us have truly stemmed from...

Our First Video Documenting a Camping Trip on Groote Eylandt

Turtle Hunting With Our Aboriginal Friends on Groote Eylandt

Days before arriving on island, I found myself endlessly day-dreaming about what my new life in the NT might be like. I’d excitedly dream up scenarios where I’d find myself immersed in Indigenous culture. Most commonly, I’d picture myself sitting cross-legged in the dirt, listening intently, as an Indigenous elder would devotedly tell dreaming...

Learning to Fish With a Hand Reel on Groote Eylandt

A few weeks ago, a group of Indigenous girls showed me how they catch fish by crushing up small live shells and attaching the gooey flesh to basic hand lines. I was amazed by their success rate in catching decent-sized fish using what seemed like such a simple method, and decided to put my...

Adrian’s Recount of Camping at Jagged Heads on Groote Eylandt

It was 7am Saturday morning and Casey was already in the kitchen preparing hamburger patties for our evening camp-fire-cooked meal. Wary of getting in her way, I decided to head out the front and load the camping essentials into the back of the Troopy. We started heading for the most northern recreational area of...

How to Celebrate NAIDOC Week at School

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. It was created to ‘increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians’ (cited from the NAIDOC website).Put more simply, NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous...

Camping at Jagged Heads on Groote Eylandt

Last week Adrian and I ventured out to a spot called Jagged Head. We camped under the stars, literally, as we slept on foam mattresses wedged into the luggage rack atop our Troopy. I woke up several times throughout the night in fear that I’d roll off and break my neck; either that, or...

A Day at Picnic Beach on Groote Eylandt

We had long forgotten about our bogging the previous weekend; and after a tiring working-week (for one of us at least), we were ready to escape town and head back into the unknown. This time we had the joy of accompanying some Indigenous folk out to their ‘usual spot’ under the shade of the...

Monthly: June 2014