Koori Curriculum's Seasons Competition 2023
We want to see how you celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander seasons at your place!
The top 10 entries with the highest votes will go in the draw to win 1 of 2 copies of "Ask Aunty: Seasons" by Aunty Munya Andrews & Charmaine Ledden-Lewis.
How to enter:
- Write a blurb of up to 300 words or more outlining how you acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander seasons in your service.
- Include an image of sharing how the seasons are acknowledged at your centre.
The competition will be open from the 30th of October until the 13th of November 2023 for entries.
Voting will close on the 19th of November 2023.
The winner will be announced on the 20th of November via our newsletter, Facebook and on our Instagram.
"Ask Aunty: Seasons An Introduction to First Nations Seasons" by Aunty Munya Andrews & illustrated by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
Ask Aunty: Seasons is a delightful and educational picture book for children aged 5 to 10 years that introduces First Nations seasonal calendars.
Have you ever been excited for the first day of summer, only to be disappointed when it arrives cold and rainy? For First Nations People, the seasons don’t change when the calendar does. Instead, we can look for changes in plants, animals, water, weather and the stars to mark the start of a new season.
Aunty Munya explains how there are six seasons on her Country. Mankal is the rainy season, bringing strong winds from the ocean, while Barrgan is the season when bush fruits are most plentiful.
With stunning illustrations by Charmaine Ledden-Lewis, Ask Aunty: Seasons encourages all readers to develop a deeper connection with the land, waters and sky.
Aunty Munya Andrews
Aunty Munya is an Aboriginal Elder originally from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Despite a socially disadvantaged background and not speaking for the first five years of her life, Aunty Munya has been an accomplished and influential voice for her community. As a public speaker, she is much sought after in Australia and abroad.
Educated in Australia and the USA, Aunty Munya has degrees in anthropology and law. She has practised law in Victoria and New South Wales as a solicitor and barrister, including as a legal academic at the University of Melbourne and at Southern Cross University, teaching Indigenous legal subjects.
As an Elder, Aunty Munya is equally well-versed in traditional laws, customs and practices.
Like many Aboriginal people, Aunty Munya has learned to work and live in two worlds. Her dream is to bring them closer together, and cultural awareness is an invaluable tool in the process.
Charmaine Ledden-Lewis
Charmaine Ledden-Lewis is a Blue Mountains artist, and descendant of the Bundjalung people.
Her matriarchal lineage is a living legacy of the Stolen Generations. She is a vocal advocate for those who have had their history and culture stolen from them. Raised in a loving family surrounded by art and music, Charmaine developed a passion from a young age, for all things creative.
She provides the same environment for her two sons, taking pleasure in nurturing their creativity.
Charmaine believes we are all artists. She was the 2019 winner of Magabala Books’ Kestin Indigenous Illustrator Award and illustrated Bruce Pascoe’s children’s picture book Found and Cathy Freeman’s Born to Run.
