From snow to sea: An educational adventure Riina Hämäläinen
It’s 5.00am and I am waking up to a
As a rule, every school ceremony,
rhythmic clap echoing around the
assembly, parent meeting or sporting
caravan park. It is time to wake up and
event starts with a Welcome to Country.
quickly get dressed. I can already hear
This practice recognises Indigenous
the noises of awakening outside my hut.
people as the first custodians of this
Moments later, I find myself huddled
land, promotes awareness of Indigenous
together with a group of people, peering history and culture, and formally out to the Pacific Ocean in the dim
acknowledges Indigenous people’s
light of dawn. In front of the crowd,
ongoing connection to the ground.
an Aboriginal man is decisively playing
A good grasp of Aboriginal history and
his clapsticks, an essential part of
culture is also required when delivering
Aboriginal ceremonies. Then the
the Australian PDHPE curriculum.
clapping stops, and the man turns
This understanding is important, for
facing towards the ocean, now speaking
example, when discussing health
intently in a language that has survived
issues and inequalities between the
thousands of years to this day. Two
different populations in Australia. With
white-bellied sea eagles emerge from
an overseas background, one has to do
the sea and start flying circles above
a decent amount of homework more
him. We’re standing on Budawang
than once to teach the topic sufficiently.
Aboriginal area, an important area
I have lived in Australia for five years
for the First Nations people and the
now and know more about the native
same coastline where Captain James
people here than in my home country
Cook made his first observations of
Finland. I really feel like acknowledging
Aboriginal people in 1770. The sunrise
this has brought a new dimension to
ceremony is one of the oldest rituals
my life. Perhaps the history and culture
still practised today that celebrates life,
of Scandinavia’s Indigenous people, the
nature and thanks Grandfather Sun for
Sámi reindeer herders, could also be a
the start of a new day.
more prominent and enriching part of
Regardless of the tangible beauty of
30
Illuminate Research and Innovation | Edition 6 2021
Finnish school life.
the moment, I have not left Finland
The continent of Australia is estimated
to participate in a spiritual retreat.
to be 23 times bigger than Finland.
Instead, we are on a week’s long
The differences in delivering the
school camp for outdoor education
National Curriculum system between
and experiential learning. Understanding
municipalities are not as significant
and appreciating the Aboriginal cultural
as those between States. The Finnish
history is a central part of the Australian
curriculum remains very much united
curriculum and integrated with studies
nationwide. The curriculum in Finland is
for all grades.
updated approximately every ten years.
