My name is Koonjiani

Student shares podcast explaining her Aboriginal culture learning journey

Stephanie Callaghan’s Aboriginal name is Koonjiani. She is from the Goorangai clan of the Wonnarua Nation and she is a storyteller who loves helping children find the joy in education. A widowed single mother of a 9-year-old son, Stephanie lives in Karuah, New South Wales, and works as a preschool teacher while also running her own business as an Aboriginal cultural educator. She is completing a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching by distance mode at Avondale University College.

Writing is a hobby. Stephanie has edited and published two family history books for her mother, prepared as a public servant two NSW Health strategies, and created more than 20 cultural lesson plans for her business. A good preparation for the Writing for Media Contexts unit in which she enrolled this semester. Part of the unit focused on podcasting, with students receiving access to an online course by producer Kel Butler of Listen Up Podcasting. They learned everything needed to write, record and produce a high-quality podcast. Even though access to Avondale’s audio studio was unavailable and most students had to use their phones as recording devices, the results were impressive.

Stephanie created a podcast (below) that discussed the journey of learning about her Aboriginal culture and has, in National Reconciliation Week, agreed to share and discuss it with School of Humanities and Creative Arts Head Lynnette Lounsbury.

Why did you choose this topic for your podcast?
I wanted to teach Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people that there’s a lot to learn about our culture and that this learning is a process. I wanted to share the story of my learning and discuss the idea that you don’t need “tokenistic” tick-the-box type learning about indigenous culture. We shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions or take small steps in our learning. We should confidently expand our networks, being brave enough to find and talk to Aboriginal people about their history and experience, and to look for things that are written and published by Aboriginal people. It’s important we teach this to our children so when they become adults they’re already culturally aware. I’m loving learning about my culture, but I know it’s a journey. All learning is like that, isn’t it? A journey.

What did you like about podcasting or sharing your story and cultural understanding orally rather than in written form?
Oral storytelling is an ancient practice for Aboriginal people—they talk and yarn around a fire. The voice is part of the story, so it felt natural for me to use podcasting.

How can we best educate ourselves about or continue our learning journey around Aboriginal culture and history?
We bridge the gap of understanding when we spend time with Aboriginal people, engaging in their cultural celebrations, asking them questions and inviting their voices to be part of our discussions. Watch the indigenous news on NITV—it’s full of fascinating stories about what’s happening in communities around Australia, positive stories of overcoming issues such as racism, white privilege and mental health. Learn about what your local Aboriginal community is doing. Listen to our activists and help us change the rhetoric around Aboriginality. Don’t look at Aboriginal things as separate from your life—we’re connected. It isn’t “Aboriginal history,” it’s “Australian history.” It’s the history of the land on which we all live, which means it’s part of everyone’s story.

Listen: Stephanie Callaghan’s podcast