It was a whole of school effort at Cootamundra High on Friday to create a human art installation worthy of commemorating Sorry Day.
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Students gathered on the oval to create the perimeter of Australia as red and yellow ribbons let to the word ‘Sorry’ printed inside.
Indigenous students were invited to stand on the inside lettering.
Sorry Day has been marked nationally on May 26 each year since 1998.
It began one year on from the tabling of the report Bringing them Home.
The report was the result of an inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.
Friday’s activities at the high school were led by indigenous students under the guidance of Margaret Cossey.
Occasions like Sorry Day and NAIDOC are not just for us, everyone gets involved; I love it.
- Cootamundra High School student Kiara Wilson
The students not only envisioned the art installation, they also invited parents of indigenous students to the school for afternoon tea and hosted them with cakes they had whipped up in the kitchen earlier.
Students Kiara Wilson and Hayley Ormond are part of the school’s Aboriginal Learning Centre and loved the fact Friday’s art installation involved all students.
“Occasions like Sorry Day and NAIDOC are not just for us, everyone gets involved; I love it,” Ms Wilson said.
She said the awareness these occasions create of indigenous history is greatly appreciated.
In attendance on the day were Wiradjuri men and Cootamundra locals Bob Glanville and his grandson Peter Beath.
Addressing the students, Mr Beath said it has been “a wonderful thing” to see Cootamundra consistently mark Sorry Day over the past two decades.
“It is a really important event to recognise and to pay our respects to those who came before us,” he said.
Sorry Day makes up part of National Reconciliation Week, which runs until June 3.
Next on the agenda for Aboriginal Learning Centre students is NAIDOC Week, which runs from July 2 until 9 this year.
NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and to recognise the contributions of Indigenous Australians.
