Over the past six months a group of Year 10 and 11 girls, along with Mr Leaver, Ms Watson, Auntie Julie and Auntie Janette have been working together to prepare for their trip to the Central Desert area around Uluru. Even before we left a real highlight of our program was the Central Desert Culture and Art Event held in Nura Kameraigal with visitors from the Indigenous communities of Docker River, Imanpa and Mutitjulu. The night was a great opportunity to strengthen our school’s relationship with these communities and the traditional owners. It also gave the Monte Community the chance to see and buy art and witness ceremony/Inma in dance and song.  We were very fortunate to have been given the chance to host these visitors in our school and that they also performed a ceremony for us at our Mercy Day Liturgy the following day.

Only a week later, 12 of us were walking off the plane at Uluru Airport. We started our week travelling out to the small community of Imanpa and then came back to Uluru for the second half of the week where we spent time in the community of Mutitjulu working with the artists in the Maruku Arts and with young children at the Mutitjulu Child Care Centre.

Through spending time with these amazing people we learnt so much about their culture and how we can maintain our cultural connections and friendships. We would like to thank all the staff involved in the preparation and organisation that was required to make this trip so incredible and enlightening.