Say Our Name — Australian South Sea Islanders | Visual Art Years 9–10

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 Visual Art, Years 9–10

Learning objectives

• to manipulate media, techniques and processes to represent their ideas
• how artists use visual conventions to explore who they are and where they fit, and as a way of
  storytelling
• how to consider others’ viewpoints on records of history
• how artists create compositions
• how artists display artworks to emphasise meaning.

Success Criteria

• demonstrate purposeful use of media to express characteristics of their personal history
• discuss the purpose of visual conventions to communicate meaning and viewpoints, using appropriate language to label, categorise, describe and explain
• reflect on how they fit into their social and cultural environments
•  apply visual conventions to create original compositions
• increase engagement with their artworks through innovative displays.