Unity Painting by Dr Miriam-Rose

As announced last newsletter, CaSPA has received a commissioned painting from Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann who lives in Daly River in the Northern Territory. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam-Rose_Ungunmerr-Baumann

Unity Painting – Commissioning Outline provided to Dr Miriam-Rose

CaSPA is seeking a painting which:

• brings together what creation spirit means for you together with Catholic spirit.
• represents your story of being a School Principal and leader in education and what this has meant for you in the context of your country and impact.
• will inspire CaSPA and guide us – so please tell your story and paint from the heart.  The painting will create a story, your story which will help all Catholic Secondary Principals come together, have a voice, and serve/ support others.
• will have a written message attached to it - a written message telling us about the story of the artwork will be important (just what you normally do).

Unity Painting - explanation

By Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann 2023

At the base of the painting it illustrates that indigenous students have been invited and accepted to be enrolled in a Catholic Secondary College. 

The footprints represent that a smoking ceremony should take place for healing, reconciliation, and peace.

Around the footprints there is smoke and also some special leaves painted in brown.

The leaves that we use for the smoking ceremony are from Ironwood, the strongest and hardest tree that grows around the Top End of Australia.

Burning these leaves strengthens the spirit of individuals. The smoke replenishes your being.

The large circle in the centre of the painting is a yarning circle. A circle represents belonging which is a big thing for us culturally. The students need to feel that they belong, that everyone matters.

The six smaller brown circles are our mob, the Elders and family members who belong to the students attending the college.

The other six circles are the senior teachers and the Principal of the College.

They are meeting and listening to each other about how best to care for the students and to be aware of the issues our students may have. 

They are all working together as a part of a board that gets together to discuss how best to deal with the students in those schools.

With the experience I have had with sending kids to secondary schools outside of our community. I feel there isn't enough support for them, so I feel that this association should understand how to communicate with our people so that there is more understanding and chances for our kids to adapt to the new place with continual support, and family visiting them as often as possible.

This group should continue to walk with the students through their time at the college to prevent home sickness.

If staff are not sure how to deal with children who are having issues, they need to include aboriginal people particularly family and elders from where that student comes from. They can help the Principals understand about culture and ways to support the students to stay at the school in a loving and caring way.

The Cross in the middle of the circle represents Christ and Christianity
The rays of light is the Holy Spirit. Each of the three points at the top of the cross represents the three days that Christ rose from the dead. It's important in the Catholic schools that the kids receive a lot of pastoral care during their time there.

At the top of the painting are hands, they are welcoming hands which indicate that the students are welcome at the college to come and get a good education. There is also water painted in and around the hands which represents the welcome ceremony that we do for visitors to the Daly River. 

Our children need to be welcomed, supported, understood and especially made to feel that they belong by being connected to both the school and also their home and family. This can be achieved through walking alongside each other united, to create the best outcome for the students.