by Carla Caruso

An Indigenous cultural tour will take in three Adelaide Park Lands sites on Sunday, November 20.

Liesl von der Borch and Drew Kilner are behind the tour, Connecting to Place. Kaurna Then and Now - from noon to 5pm - aimed at children and their carers.

Liesl also teaches at Ngutu College at Woodville North, where Aboriginal knowledge is integrated with the formal curriculum.

Previously, she has co-run tours at Mukanthi (Morialta Conservation Park) and Wirraparinga (Brownhill Creek).

“I’m non-Indigenous and I just think I felt so strongly about the absence of [such] learning for children, and it seemed to me that the only way forward – towards referendum and Makarrata and everything – was for this next generation to be significantly educated in ways that we weren’t; that I certainly wasn’t.”

For the city tour, participants will meet for a Welcome to Country ceremony at Gladys Elphick Park / Narnungga (Park 25).

Then, three buses will transport groups between each site, where Kaurna elders and younger presenters will share the history and ongoing stories connected. About an hour will be spent at each site.

“Taylor Power and her daughter, Tiyana, will present at Pirltawardli [Possum Park / Park 1] about the school [for Kaurna children there, built by German missionaries] and language, Drew Kilner at Tarntanyangga [Victoria Square] about ‘the place of the red kangaroo’, Uncle Frank Wanganeen about life along the river at Karrawirra Pari [River Torrens] and Paul Curnow (non-Indigenous) will talk about constellations with Uncle Frank too,” Liesl says.

Activities and games at each of the three workshop sites will provide extra understanding and engagement for the kids while adults will receive booklets providing more in-depth information.

“One of the things that I am really particular about is helping children understand that we are on Kaurna land,” Liesl says.

“Each of those sites that we’re at … challenges children and adults to think about, well, what was it like [before]? What have we taken away and destroyed?

“Just thinking about the loss of language, loss of land, loss of culture, but in a way that is comfortable for children.

“[For example] how would it be to suddenly not be allowed to speak your language and be told you have to speak another?”

Further, Liesl says: “It’s about understanding place. It’s about people, as they move about the city and the Park Lands, actually knowing, from now on, that [what you see is] not all it is.

“It’s not just our Park Lands that we play cricket on, or we have WOMAD there, or we go on the Popeye … From this experience, [people will] actually know a deeper truth that has to be remembered.”

Tickets are $5 for children and $20 for adults.

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PS. APA will also be hosting a Guided Walk on the same day (Sunday, November 20), but at a time that doesn’t clash.

Our Guided Walk will be in the morning, from 9.30am to 11.00am, so it will be possible to participate in both events. APA’s Guided Walk on that day takes in the two formal gardens of North Adelaide. Details here.