Ria Warrawah : a venture in curriculum development for Aboriginal children in Tasmania

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this thesis may contain references of deceased persons and content which may cause distress.

This project describes the process of incorporating Aboriginal Studies into a secondary school curriculum in Tasmania. The curriculum developed from specific projects to a cooperative entitled Ria Warrawah, the first secondary school-based indigenous cooperative in Australia focussing on 12 to 16 year old students. The description of the project proceeds from an analysis of relevant literature to an account of the case studies and the series of interviews with members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community which together formed the theoretical base for this model curriculum for indigenous students. It has been appropriate to refer to the first person throughout. The project description was concluded by evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the cooperative, and by describing future directions based on stories of experience and enquiry.