PSC Proudly Supports NAIDOC Week

Pakenham Secondary College embraces the culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, celebrating important events such as Reconciliation Week, NAIDOC Week and our own Indigenous Cultural Day. We are also thrilled to have an Indigenous Artist in Residence, Samantha Richards, mentoring our students each week.

Our Indigenous Artist in Residence, Samantha Richards, has been with Pakenham Secondary College since the beginning of 2024. Samantha is a descendent of the Wurundjeri and Dja Dja Wurrung Tribes of the Melbourne and Bendigo regions. She has been educating our students on the traditional Wurundjeri symbols, telling Creation and Dreamtime stories, providing insightful information on Indigenous culture, including sharing her extensive knowledge of Indigenous flora. Samantha has also been teaching weaving and woodwork practices, as well as producing Indigenous digital art using Procreate.

We look forward to Samantha’s program expanding in the second half of the year, where she will  further convey her immense knowledge of Indigenous culture by instructing our students on sustainability in food, the continuation of the Indigenous art program, as well as leading our students on Pakenham Secondary College’s Indigenous Cultural Day.

This year, our Indigenous Student Leader is Tori Conden, in Year 8. Tori is a proud descendent of the Wurundjeri Tribe of the Melbourne region and is overjoyed to be chosen as our Koorie Cultural Captain. Tori recently represented Pakenham Secondary College at the Flag Raising Ceremony at the Cardinia Shire Civic Centre, commemorating Reconciliation Week, and along with her class, has produced some outstanding Indigenous art. Tori is very much looking forward to being a major part of our Indigenous Cultural Day in August this year.