Opportunities abound for junior Indigenous rangers
Keira Jenkins |
The students who helped transform a strip of playground that was overrun with bushes into a thriving native garden are proud of their work.
At the Murri School in Brisbane, students who took part in the junior rangers program have completed a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystems Management, and given back to the school community while doing it.
For Tia Pippen, the program has provided opportunities and set her up for a ranger job, if she chooses.
While she’s not sure ranger work is in her future, she’s built new skills and is setting an example for younger students at the school.
“It’s really good for the younger ones to come in, learn about this and realise how important it is for us to maintain Country, because it is a big part of our culture,” she said.
Murri School principal Tanya Saltner said the program gives students a chance to learn about culture in a hands-on way, and she hopes to keep expanding the junior rangers initiative.
“We’re already mapping out spaces around the school we’d like to work on next,” she told AAP.
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy presented the Murri School students with their certificates on Monday, announcing 11 new junior ranger projects across Australia.
Among the groups that will establish junior ranger programs is the Boorrumpah Goupong Aboriginal Corporation at Ipswich, Queensland, which will work with local Elders, cultural mentors, and environmental specialists to establish on-Country learning experiences for young men.
The group’s manager Sloane Stallan said the grant will create programs that empower while fostering leadership and resilience.
“It provides an opportunity to break cycles of unemployment, substance abuse and disconnection by offering culturally relevant mentorship, education and employment pathways,” she said.
“This support can transform lives, promote self-determination, and build a stronger, healthier community for the future.”
Nyanda Life Limited will use the grant for training opportunities for First Nations students in Ipswich, in partnership with UQ Skills.
Nyanda Life chief executive Nick Thomson said the funding will have a lasting impact, with the aim of building an employment pipeline for local ranger groups.
“It will support Indigenous rangers to share cultural knowledge, strengthen community ties and inspire the next generation of land and sea custodians,” he said.
Junior ranger programs in Canberra, Wyong and Wollongong in NSW, Castlemaine and Shepparton in Victoria, Launceston in Tasmania, Geraldton in WA and Port Adelaide in SA also secured funding.
Senator McCarthy said the program expansion means more First Nations students will be able to learn through connection to culture and Country, and build skills that can lead to jobs.
“If we can build our young people to take their place in society, knowing they’re strong in culture, they are strong with the people around them and they have respect for the people around them, I think that’s a good thing,” she said.
AAP
