From The Western Frontier - Series 3 (ATOM Study Guide)

The third iteration of From The Western Frontier focuses on the legacy of the Stolen Generations policies for a new generation of Aboriginal people. Interestingly, it was not intended that the theme for the series would pivot on the generational impact of these heinous policies; in fact, our writer/directors were asked only to focus their narratives around the stories of the Stolen Generations.

Series 3 of From the Western Frontier comprises two episodes:

• 'The Third Space'
• 'Owning Your History'

Intriguingly, both Casey Kickett ('The Third Space') and Kimberley Benjamin ('Owning Your History') pitched ideas that centred on contemporary stories of young Noongar women who live in and are shaped by a vestiges of government policies that enabled Aboriginal children to be permanently taken from their families, their land and property sequestered, their culture inhibited and their everyday lives regulated and controlled. It seems all too easy for non-Indigenous Australians to dismiss the darkest parts of our history as 'far-gone' or 'long-ago' but the reality is that these heinous acts are just on our historical horizon – a past that many of us lived in and remember well. Of course, many people would argue the ideology underpinning these draconian pieces of legislation continues to thrive today in government policies that are designed by and meted out by non-Indigenous Australians.

Curriculum Links (suitable for Years 9 & 10)

General Capabilities:

Personal and Social Capability 

• Self-management 
• Self-awareness
• Social management 
• Social awareness

Intercultural Understanding 

• Investigate culture and cultural identity 
• Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices 
• Develop respect for cultural diversity 
• Consider and develop multiple perspectives 
• Challenge stereotypes and prejudices

Critical and Creative Thinking 

• Identify and clarify information and ideas 
• Organise and process information 
• Inquire and explore

Cross-curriculum Priority:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures 
• Recognising culture and developing respect
• Interacting and empathising with others
• Reflecting on intercultural experiences and taking responsibility