12 Sep 2022

Rich cultural lessons from ASHEfest

Over several days in the second last week of Term Three, students from Foundation to Year 10 journeyed to Shepparton to participate in ASHEfest – a three-day festival of traditional Indigenous games, arts and crafts, run by the students of ASHE for schools in the Great Shepparton area.

Students from Foundation through to Year 6 were involved in ‘ASHEletics’, while students in Years 7-10 competed against other schools in Buroinjin – a running and passing ball game originally played by the Kabi Kabi people of south Queensland. In traditional Indigenous culture, the game was played with a ball made of kangaroo skin which was called a buroinjin.

Year 8 student Charlotte Woosnam had the honour of being named the player of the tournament!

Over the course of the three-day festival, the students also got to take part in storytime with Elders and were treated to special appearances by ASHEMan and RumbaGirl!

ASHEfest provided a unique experience outside of the classroom and it was fantastic to see our students fully engrossed in various elements of traditional Indigenous culture – many of which they had never been previously exposed to.