Morning Star & Arnhem Sports!!

Yes! remember those old school sports carnivals where you
were arbitrarily divided up into colour groups for which
you had no real affiliation whatsoever. I mean if you were
lucky you were Red which at least illicited some feelings
of passion and excitement. No good if you were Yellow
(although thankfully it was often changed to Gold) or
heaven forbid Green!!

Well Arnhem Sports is different! One it basically ends up
like a camping trip/ school excursion all rolled into one
and two it invloves delegates from 5 schools in the North
east Arnhem region. These are: Gapuwiyak, Maningrida,
Milingimbi, Ramingining and Sheperdson College (Elcho
Island). Each school is accompanied by two teachers and
some support staff; As well as all the teachers and staff
from the host school; in this case ramingining, where i am
lucky enough to be working this very week. It's especially
exciting for me because i have worked at all the schools
present and it's great to see all the students having such
a great time and being both competitive and supportive at
the same time.

Also i was lucky enough to be here for the "Morning Star"
Ceremony which has not occured in this place for some 24
years. Very exciting indeed. Just so good to see such
positive things happening in a traditional context.
Singing dancing and being painted up in white ochre! Woo!

l