Aboriginal Community Engagement Officers
The Aboriginal Community Engagement Officers are well respected Community members with strong connections to the Aboriginal Community and organisations. The Engagement Officers are out and about in the Community visiting families and organisations providing information and encouraging potential students to attend Riawunna and enrol in the Murina Program. They facilitate cultural events under the Riawunna Community Program to encourage people to the University from Aboriginal Dance workshops, weaving workshops to traditional fire stick making. The Community Engagement Officers are located on the Sandy Bay, Inveresk and Cradle Coast campuses.
Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country protocols
- Welcome to Country ceremonies are an important ceremony to be conducted by a Tasmanian Aboriginal person to welcome people onto Lutruwita Aboriginal land.
A Welcome to Country usually occurs at the opening of a significant event and is the first item on the Program. The Welcome may be done through a speech, song, dance or smoking ceremony. Please note a Welcome can also be replaced by a meaningful acknowledgement of Country. - An Acknowledgement of Country can be conducted by an Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal person and can often replace a Welcome to Country.
Its purpose is to acknowledge the traditional owners and shows respect to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community including the place in which your event is taking place.
Riawunna Community Program
The Riawunna Community Program is facilitated by the Aboriginal Student Advisers or the Aboriginal Community Engagement Officers. The program showcases that Tasmanian Aboriginal culture is at the heart of the Riawunna Centre to support current students and access for potential students.
The program strengthens our welcoming environment for students, staff and the Aboriginal community, through learning Aboriginal knowledges. We provide opportunities for Community members to access the University of Tasmania.
Riawunna works closely with the Communities Team to deliver cultural experiences to the University Community.
Riawunna social and cultural events
We host cultural activities with the University Aboriginal community for events like NAIDOC week, Orientation Week, Open Day, Harmony Day, Mental Health Day, yarning circles and many other important occasions. Riawunna promotes its social and cultural events through email and Facebook and listed on our events page.
NAIDOC Week celebrations
Riawunna celebrates NAIDOC Week each year with the University and the Aboriginal community. It is a significant week for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who celebrate their history, culture and achievements.
Riawunna's Cultural Collection - tunapri milaythina
Riawunna is proud of its cultural collection of water carriers, shell necklaces and baskets. We also have an art collection across our three Lutruwita campuses.