Indigenous Cultural Awareness Education
About
The Brunswick Uniting Church First Nations Focus Group FNF and the The Brunswick Uniting Church First Nations Focus Group FNF and the Brunswick Uniting Church Council are excited to announce a program of First Peoples’ Cultural Awareness Education facilitated by the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation. These are to be held at Brunswick Uniting Church (BUC) for members of BUC (and others if spaces permits)The first education session will commence with a ‘Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony’ for all to participate in followed by a shared lunch. Then the first session of education to follow. Each subsequent session is the same in content.
Places are subsidised by BUC Council with a sliding fee scale to make workshops accessible to all congregation members. ( In addition, a mechanism for members of the congregation, who are able, to sponsor a place for others to attend.) Our hope is that as many congregation members as possible will prioritise and participate in this wonderful opportunity. For those in financial hardship we do not want this to be an obstacle, so please contact the organizer.
The background to this program is that:
More than 30 years ago, the Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress and the Uniting Church in Australia, entered into a covenant*, which involved a commitment to walk together as First and Second Peoples in a journey of reconciliation, justice and healing.
In the spirit of the Covenant, in 2021, BUC prepared a Statement of Commitment to Wurundjeri Corporation,* this was to learn, reflect, pray and act together on our relationship with First Nations Peoples and to inform our support of First Nations issues, particularly Voice, Treaty and Truth. In early 2023 BUC prepared & delivered a Statement of Commitment* to Wurundjeri Corporation and this was most recently re-delivered to CEO Kup Teao in 2025.
As a people of faith and members of BUC it is incumbent on us to honour this Covenant and to honour our Statement of Commitment to Wurundjeri Corporation, which commits to:
• Encourage all members of BUC, as Second Peoples who have benefited from the history of colonization, to make a personal commitment to learn the history and culture of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and other First Peoples
• Challenge all members of BUC to deeply listen to First Peoples, to take responsibility in recognising the injustices done to the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung People, by Second Peoples, owning this as our work to be done and not First Peoples’ responsibility.
• Facilitate this learning by continuing to offer opportunities at BUC including study guides, cultural walks and outings and discussion/study groups and cultural awareness training events.
• Explore with Wurundjeri Corporation ways we can make direct or in-kind acknowledgment of the financial impact of colonisation, and or use of Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung land for our activities.
The topics to be discussed in the Indigenous Cultural Awareness Education program will respond directly to this commitment. It asks us to challenge our own racism, our privilege ,to commit to listening, truth telling, and repentance, to lament, to remain present in love and to hold fast to a hope, grounded in justice, healing.
Are we ready to respond?
For further information and background Cultural-Awareness-Education.pdf
Dates
Sunday 17 May 2026 - Saturday 13 June 2026 (UTC+10)Location
Brunswick Uniting Church
212 Sydney Road, Brunswick Vic 3056
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Indigenous Cultural Awareness Education
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