EREA’s Yarning with a Purpose: Learning, Truth-Telling and Cultural Immersion on Country
EREA’s Yarning with a Purpose: Learning, Truth-Telling and Cultural Immersion on Country
Colleagues from across Edmund Rice Education Australia recently gathered in Gimuy (Cairns) and surrounding communities for the inaugural Yarning with a Purpose program, a unique professional development and cultural immersion experience designed to deepen understanding, strengthen relationships, and support reconciliation in EREA schools.
The week-long program combined learning on Country, First Nations truth-telling, cultural immersion, and professional dialogue, providing participants with opportunities to reflect on how Indigenous knowledges, histories, and perspectives can be meaningfully embedded into school communities and educational practice.
Participants were welcomed to Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji Country by traditional owner, Carl Fourmile, who opened the program through song in Yidin language and introduced the group to the Country on which they would spend the week learning.
A highlight of the program was a session led by Gimuy Walubarra Yidinji Elder Professor Henrietta Marrie, who shared her personal story and insights through a professional learning experience focused on history, race relations, and cultural understanding. Participants also visited the Ghosts of Lani Mulgrave Blair exhibition, which centres on the story of Lani Blair, a Yidinji child removed from Country. Prof Marrie introduced participants to this story prior to the exhibition and gave insight to the broader social, historical and political context for understanding. The exhibition provided a powerful lens through which to explore themes of identity, belonging, historical injustice, and truth-telling.
The group continued their learning journey with a visit to Din Din (Barron Falls) before travelling to the Pamagirri Aboriginal Cultural Park, where they were immersed in Djabugay culture, dance, art, song, and storytelling. An on-Country rainforest walk offered insights into traditional Djabugay knowledge, including science, medicine, food sources, and the enduring connection between people and place. The day concluded with a professional learning session led by Djabugay educator Angela Hastie and her brother Doug Hastie.
On Thursday, participants gained a deeper appreciation of Torres Strait Islander culture, history, and contemporary life through a presentation by Geoff Lui, who explored the cultural interface and the ongoing importance of traditional knowledge systems, including responses to climate change.
The program then travelled by boat across the Cairns Inlet to Yarrabah, Australia's largest Aboriginal community. There, participants met Gunggandji educator Nathan Schreiber, who shared the work being undertaken to teach and preserve the Gunggandji language through a curriculum-aligned language program in Yarrabah.
The final stage of the immersion experience took participants to Mandingalbay Indigenous Tours, where a local ranger guided the group along the Mayi Bugan Rainforest Trail. Participants learned about native foods, bush medicines, cultural artefacts, and ancient traditions that continue to shape and sustain Aboriginal communities today.
Reflecting on the week, participants spoke of the profound impact of learning directly from Elders, educators, cultural leaders, and community members. The program provided opportunities not only to learn about First Nations histories and cultures, but also to build relationships and consider practical ways of advancing reconciliation within EREA schools and communities.
Yarning with a Purpose embodies EREA's commitment to walking together in the spirit of reconciliation, fostering greater cultural understanding, and creating learning environments where First Nations voices, stories, and knowledges are valued and celebrated.
The program will return in 2027, with the next immersion experience scheduled for 16-20 August 2027 in Gimuy (Cairns).
