CHS Yarnup All About Culture

IMAGE: CHS Yarnup founders Jasmyn Miller-Coe, Jessi May Williams and Keesha Williams with South Sydney Rabbitohs stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.

The founders of Cowra High School’s new newsletter, CHS Yarnup, say the school’s newest newsletter is an important tool in promoting Cowra’s local Aboriginal culture.

The newsletter was founded by Aboriginal year nine students Jasmyn Miller-Coe, Jessi May Williams and Keesha Williams, who were asked by Cowra High School Principal Helene Hamilton to work on the project.

This edition of CHS Yarnup is the first one, and it is hoped it will be published at the end of each semester.

The founders said the main focus was to create an awareness of the local Wiradjuri culture, for non-Aboriginal students to learn more about it, but also for Aboriginal students to learn more about their own heritage.

“We thought it would be a good idea to promote our local Koori culture and do interviews with local elders,” they said. The founders travelled to Junee recently, where they interviewed Aboriginal media personality Luke Carroll, as well as sharing Wiradjuri culture with other Aboriginal school students from Junee.

In Cowra, they have also interviewed local elders Aunties Sue Dunn and Caroline Bamblett, with their stories on them published in this edition of the newsletter.

They are planning a big article for next term’s edition for Christmas, where they hope to interview more local elders in Cowra.

They said they have so far enjoyed learning more about their own culture. “We learned new and different things when we went to Junee which was great for us,” they said.

“I hope it helps people to learn about, understand and respect our culture.” Janet Cheng, Cynthia and other staff members from CHS have also helped the founders in making this newsletter a possibility.

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