National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, and the rich tradition of storytelling can play an important part in that.
Vision Australia Feelix Library has recently produced a new indigenous story kit suitable for young children.
The Adventures of the Little Black Trackas by Merle Hall, a Bangerang and Wiradjuri woman from the Goulburn Valley, and illustrated by Gary Saunders, a Bangerang and Wiradjuri man, details four simple stories told in English and Bangerang language and narrated by Bangerang children.
The Feelix kit comprises four print books with contracted braille overlay - Bamanebala (insects), Yedabila (animals), Djunda (bird) and Wala Yedabila (water animals), three tactile handbooks, a pouch of feathers and a tactile indigenous Australian flag along with some song sheets for Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes sung by Bangerang children.
Vision Australia CEO Ron Hooton said that the organisation acknowledges and respects the genuine diversity and richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures across Australia.
“Our commitment at Vision Australia is to learn from and work together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to have a more inclusive Australia where all Australians are afforded the opportunity to share the same standard of living, good health and life opportunities," Mr Hooton said.
“Our Reconciliation Action Plan stands as a commitment to supporting and promoting this vision for reconciliation as we believe that reconciliation is critically important to our organisation, our society and our country’s future.”
Vision Australia Feelix kits are story kits to help parents, carers and teachers bring stories to life for children through books, audio and touch.
For more information on the Feelix Children’s Library click here.