Say Our Name — Australian South Sea Islanders | HASS, English Years 1–2

Calling a person or group of people by their correct name shows you recognise and respect them. It can also be a way to honour or remember someone — think about when you or your team win an award, and your name is read aloud at assembly!

The opening of Say Our Name at Queensland Museum Kurilpa in August 2024 marks 30 years since the Australian Commonwealth Government recognised Australian South Sea Islander (ASSI) peoples as a disadvantaged group with their own history, culture and identity. Six years later, the Queensland Government formally recognised the contributions and achievements of ASSIs in a Recognition Statement. As a result, a whole generation has grown up being able to say with confidence who they are and where they come from.

But do you know who Australian South Sea Islanders are?

Curriculum Links
 This resource is aligned with Australian Curriculum HASS and English, Years 1–2

Learning objectives

• explain how the lives of Australian South Sea Islanders (ASSIs) have changed
• identify and describe features of places that are important to ASSIs, recognising that people describe features of places differently
• recall key ideas and recognise meaning in texts, understanding that texts serve different purposes
• listen to others, using appropriate language features and interaction skills
•  make short presentations.

Success Criteria

• compare their daily lives with the early ASSIs
• discuss why a particular place has cultural value
• find and document literal and nonliteral meaning in various texts
• participate in discussions, using questions with the stems 'where', 'what', 'how' and 'why'
• give a short oral presentation, speaking clearly and with appropriate volume and using content-specific vocabulary