19 Jul 2023
Over the past two days, students from the Aboriginal Learning and Engagement Centre have been hard at work sewing together traditional possum skin cloaks under the guidance of Auntie Cheryl Penrith.
“The boys are making one and the girls are making one. We’re practicing the concept of men’s business and women’s business,” Auntie Cheryl Penrith explains, “I just told these girls that this is where we sorted out our problems and we talked through things and we weren’t isolated.”
The students paid their respects to the possum skins before the started collating and planning the ceremonial attire. Though the skins would have traditionally been sewn together using grass fibres threaded with a bone, in this case, a needle and thread was used for convenience.
“I think the revival of cultural practice is really important for young people,” explains Auntie Cheryl, “I think it’s really good for healing and especially for bringing people together. I’ve been involved with making cloaks for a couple of years and it’s not just about making a cloak. It’s about sitting here and having a yarn.”
ALEC Head teacher Allison Stewart has big plans for the cloaks. “Because the cloaks are ceremonial,” explains Mrs Stewart, “We want to use them for our Year 12 students as they walk in for their graduation ceremony at the Grad Ball. We’ve been trying to put this together for three years and we’ve finally got there.”
“Hopefully this will be one of the most important days of the students’ lives: when they worked on a cloak for the school to have for years to come,” adds Auntie Cheryl Penrith.
