Yesterday a group of students, teachers and carers from St Joseph's Primary School in Uralla visited Ingelba Reserve near Walcha as part of NAIDOC Week.
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The school's aboriginal education assistant Bianca Walters arranged the visit.
"We like to do something in the local community for NAIDOC Week, and we heard about Ingelba through the Amaroo Land Council," said Ms Walters.
"We are the first school to do a day visit like this at Ingelba. To bring the children out on to the land to learn this stuff from the elders - you can't teach that in the classroom. To be out here in the air and to see the welcome to country done in the traditional language is magical and wonderful for the kids to see. There was also a smoking ceremony, and it was beautiful."
you can't teach that in the classroom
- Bianca Walters
The children enjoyed taking part in aboriginal art projects and going on a walk to learn the history of the place with the elders. During the walk, Amaroo LALC chief executive Mark Davies pointed out a tree carved 30 years ago and spoke about being a modern aboriginal.
"This wouldn't have been done with traditional tools, but we're not in traditional days we've moved on - I like to call myself a modern aboriginal person, and I can't sit there all day on a rock to grind stones - I haven't got time to make the traditional tools," Mr Davies said.
"This (carved tree) would have been done with an axe back in the day - but it is still aboriginal culture - and I'm very supportive of our mob going on country and doing their cultural practice and making it live forever because in 100 years time that's still being done by an aboriginal person."
After a lunch of pasta bolognese made with kangaroo meat, the children learned some traditional dance moves before joining in the dancing part of the closing ceremony.
"The kids really enjoyed, the history of the land - they're doing fantastic things out here, and I'm excited about what's going on and showing the kids the respect for the people passing on these messages," said Ms Walters.
"It's not what you are on the outside, it's what you are on the inside and being proud of who you know you are, and being proud of your story."
While the 40-hectare reserve is part of the Dunghutti people's story, St Joseph religious education leader Lyn Herden said there are lots of connections between the different groups.
"Today has been excellent because it brings us on to country which is not too far away from where the school is located," Mrs Herden said.
"Even though it is not out mob, there are lots of stories which are consistent with the Anaiwan people, which is the land that our school stands on."
Mr Davies set up the Ingelba heritage centre on the site in 2016, with funding from the Northern Tablelands LLS.
"I walked out on country here," he told the Walcha News earlier this year, "and realised the potential of what we could do: practise our culture in a safe environment, and showcase it to the wider community."
More than 50 families lived on the reserve between 1893 and the 1940s, the last family leaving in 2000.
Mr Davies is gradually opening up the centre to non-aboriginal visitors, so they too can learn about his people's culture.