Being proud of who you are

For young Dhawaral woman Amelia, NASCA helped her connect to her Culture and empowered her to find pride in who she is.

“I used to get bullied about being Aboriginal,” says Amelia.

“Kids in primary school would say things like ‘Aboriginals aren’t First Australians’ and would accuse me of lying about our history. It made me feel a lot of shame.”

While Amelia’s story is heartbreaking, it is unfortunately not unique. School can be a tough place for anyone, but especially so for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids, who not only face all the usual challenges school can bring, but racism, bullying, and discrimination as well. 

It was when Amelia started at Airds High School in Sydney’s west that things began to change for the better.

“NASCA coming to high school gave me a big change in perspective of my Aboriginal Culture, it has helped me strive into the person I am today. Now I’m proud to be Aboriginal and that’s because of NASCA,” says Amelia. 

But it wasn’t an overnight change for the young Dharawal woman, the bullying she endured had left her feeling shy and insecure and it took some time for her to let her guard down.

“When Amelia first started at NASCA she was a very shy, backseat kind of person, it took a while to crack her and forge a relationship, but now her confidence has grown and she is someone who lives and breathes her Culture, and in a world like today we really need that,” says NASCA Team Leader, Abbey Orcher.

Now in year 8, Amelia has been a part of the NASCA program for two years, and the improvements in her confidence have been nothing short of life-changing. 

“Her growth in confidence is a direct result of the effort she puts into the NASCA program, she’s had so many achievements and has really come into a leadership role, so being able to be a part of that is great,” says Abbey.

Earlier in the year Amelia was awarded the opportunity to design the NASCA school shirt, something she is incredibly proud of. 

“I was really happy and proud I got to do it, I’ve been painting and drawing my whole life, my Dad is an artist and he teaches me how to do Aboriginal art, and he was really proud of me when I told him I got to design the NASCA shirts, it was a way for me to connect with my Culture which made me feel very happy” says Amelia.

Today, Amelia takes every opportunity she can to connect to her Culture whether it’s through painting, or participating in NASCA’s many cultural activities.

“NASCA has really helped me connect to my Culture and made me proud about who I am as an Aboriginal person.”