IN a special opportunity to learn more about the First Nations history of Narrm, the Dees spent Tuesday taking part in a number of educational activities with the Koorie Heritage Trust.
The Koorie Heritage Trust is an arts and cultural organisation that is located in the heart of Narrm by the banks of the Birrarung Marr. It’s a First Peoples not-for-profit that provides opportunities for all to learn, connect and re-connect with the rich living cultural heritage of Aboriginal Victoria.
At 11am, prior to the AFL’s training session at Gosch’s Paddock, players and staff were taken on a cultural tour around Yarra Park by Koorie Heritage Trust’s Cultural Experiences Manager Rob Hyatt.
With the MCG being the home of the Narrm Football Club, it was an important reminder for players and staff of the cultural significance of the land on which they work and play.
Throughout the tour, Hyatt shared the history of the land, going back thousands of years to important ceremonies taken place across Yarra Park. The walk ended at the two scar trees where he acknowledged their significance within First Nations culture.
After lunch, players and staff then made their way over to Gosch’s Paddock to learn traditional Indigenous games prior to the team’s training session.
The group tried their hand at a spear-dodging game called tambil tambil and had a kick of a couple of possum skin balls which would traditionally be used to play Marngrook. Marngrook is a Gunditjmara word for ‘game ball’, and was originally played with rules similar to the rules of AFL.
