This week, Michelle Carroll shares her experiences during the Year 9 Monkey Mia-Ningaloo Reef Adventure Camp, describing the profound impact Nhanda and Malgana descendant, Darren ‘Capes’ Capewell, had on the group, “Capes ignited each story with a philosophy of ‘wula gura nyinda’ which translates to ‘you come this way.’ His cross-generational and intercultural sharing extended into every corner of our time camping on his land, and we were captivated by his teachings and profound relationship with nature,” shares Michelle. Read the full article below:

In light of recent commentary from Senator for Northern Territory, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, I was intrigued to gauge the impact our Indigenous Immersion Program, embedded within our Year 9 Monkey Mia – Ningaloo Reef Adventure Camp, has had on our girls over the past week. 

The opportunity to witness fifteen-year-old girls discovering first-hand the secrets of the beautiful land of Monkey Mia, and to understand the deep spiritual connection to land the Nhanda and Malgana people have, was second to none. This was an enriching experience of First Australians’ cultures, history, and traditions, discovered in an outdoor classroom. 

Descendant of the Nhanda and Malgana people, Darren ‘Capes’ Capewell, shared his wisdom and 15 years’ experience as a Board Member for the World Heritage Advisory Committee with our group. Capes fostered within each student an understanding of the biodiversity of the natural land and stunning wildlife of flora and fauna through stories of the Shark Bay region. Capes ignited each story with a philosophy of ‘wula gura nyinda’ which translates to ‘you come this way.’ His cross-generational and intercultural sharing extended into every corner of our time camping on his land, and we were captivated by his teachings and profound relationship with nature.  

Delivered through his unique sense of humour, yet coupled with a vibrant educational experience, Capes gifted each member of our group with an Indigenous name. His selection of name intuitively connected glimmers of personality and character that he grasped within minutes of conversation with each girl. Initially challenged by the correct pronunciation, we quickly connected to the traditional meaning and proudly wore our new name with honour.  

The more time I spent with the girls across the week, the more I truly appreciated the accuracy of Capes’ name selections gifted to each girl. I marvelled at his instinct, intuition, and wisdom.  

We appreciated the name ‘Bilirun,’ a small purple desert flower for Lilly F. The likeness of ‘Indiya,’ a sparkling star for Natalie W. ‘Idabuga,’ an inquisitive dolphin for Sophie F, and for gracefully tall Saachi, Yalybiddi, an emu. We humoured at the selection of Chitty Chitty for Sophie P, a small chatty bird, and donning the turquoise blue jumper and matching blue hat, smiling Martha O was appropriately titled, Gutharraguda, representing the two blue waters of the Shark Bay region. 

Our authentic experience at Monkey Mia resonated through the girls’ reflections with me in the following days. Capes’ outdoor classroom had certainly deepened their understanding of rituals like the Acknowledgment of Country that so many Australian communities have now adopted to commence various meetings, conferences, and school assemblies.  

“The Acknowledgment of Country makes sense to me now. It is not just words we recite,” reflected Melanie (aka ‘Willia,’ a small shell). “I felt more connected to our country. Capes made a simple walk through the bush so interesting, and it was such an authentic way of learning, as he has so many stories to share.” 

Throughout the program we also came to appreciate the fragility of our marine ecosystems, exploring environmental issues including the savaging impact of plastic use and the devastation of marine life from illegal and overfishing placing more than one third of sharks, rays, and chimaeras at risk of extinction. The opportunity to snorkel the World Heritage Ningaloo Reef brought home the magical life of our ocean with the abundance of fish and much excitement from Amelie A (‘Warda,’ meaning pearl) who found a large turtle hiding under a rock whilst snorkelling one of the most spectacular reefs in the world. 

Undoubtedly, our Year 9 Cohort have endured a disrupted start to their senior schooling with pressing COVID lockdowns across both their Years 7 and 8 journeys. However, despite this disruption, the Cohort embraced every opportunity during the camp, finding joy, fun and laughter by simply being together. At each step, the girls represented their school and families well – always courteous, willing to engage and cooperative. Thank you to all our St Catherine’s staff who travelled with the Year 9 girls across all camp groups. I am sure you gained as much from the experiences as the girls and I did.

The program exposed our Year 9 students to some genuinely remote and different environments to anything experienced in Victoria. They also gained valuable insights and a deeper understanding of the First Australians and their custodianship of this land. 

The girls embraced every step of the journey, and it was a privilege to travel with them.