Graduation students see bottom of the article for a full list of names

Indigenous students proud to wear their Aboriginal colours at graduation ceremony

On Wednesday, 20 March, our graduation ceremony witnessed an unusual event. A group of Indigenous graduates collected their Post- Graduate Diplomas in Family Therapy and were dressed not only in the ceremonial gown, but also wore a sash displaying the Aboriginal colours.

Why is this unusual?

One reason is, that according to the Prime Minister's recent Report on Closing the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage, overall fewer than half of Indigenous tertiary students complete their degrees. Another is that currently the policy at La Trobe is for sashes not to be worn with academic regalia.

Those students, knowing of the official policy, nevertheless were determined to show that, as a group they had overcome all obstacles and succeeded where so many have failed. They wanted the community - both Indigenous and non- Indigenous - to know that this was possible; this was something to celebrate, not just as an individual achievement but proudly as part of their community.

The reaction of the audience was overwhelmingly positive to this statement, the pride in achievement on display and in understanding what a positive sight it was to see those sashes in Indigenous colours in the academic context.

The course which those graduates completed is remarkable in many ways. Professor Larissa Behrendt, Chair of the Federal Government's Review into Indigenous Access and Outcomes in Higher Education has cited the program as a best practice example in her recent Report to Government in 2012.

The retention rate for Indigenous graduates in this post- graduate program is 88.7%, an outstanding statistic when compared to the overall Indigenous completion rate for a tertiary degree, which is 46.5%.

Why does this course achieve such an outstanding success rate?

The course was developed in a collaborative way with Indigenous communities so that there is a coming together of mainstream family therapy and Indigenous family healing practices, resulting in a learning experience which is culturally sensitive, respectful and inclusive

'In this course what's worked  well for me is how we've been respected in what we bring to the campfire of knowledge.' Graduate Student 2012.

Post- Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy participants are community workers, from a mixture of Aboriginal Community Controlled organisations and mainstream agencies covering a wide range of services such as children's, family, drug and alcohol, family violence, justice and Stolen Generation. The majority are Indigenous but there are a small number of non- Indigenous workers from agencies who work mainly with Indigenous families. 

In addressing strategies to Close the Gap on Indigenous disadvantage, family therapy is an important tool because it accords with traditional Indigenous healing, which is based around family and community involvement, rather than focussed on the individual. When the family is healed, the community can begin to heal.

'Family therapy is how we actually support our families, it's holistic. Here's the opportunity to get a qualification that's going to be a practice model that's very similar to how we traditionally would have done [it], sorting out problems within a community, within a family.' Graduate Student 2012

And yet, despite its documented achievements, the Indigenous Family Therapy Program at the Bouverie Centre has not been guaranteed on- going funding by either State or Federal governments. The future of this program is uncertain.

For further information on the Indigenous Family Therapy Program or to interview graduates, please contact Dr. Kerry Proctor, Manager, Indigenous Program on 9385 5100.

Students graduation photo from left to right :Denise Sweet, Vacca; Susan McNamara, LinkUp; Bronwyn Scott, Mullum Mullum Gathering Place; Kerry Thomas, Boorndawan Willam Aboriginal Healing Service; Sue Cummins, VACCA; Linda Cooper, Jamie Thomas, Boorndawan Willam;  Ross Morgan, LinkUp; Seth Nolan, DEECD; Stephen Phelan, DHS; Elke Smirl, Boorndawan Willam.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Academic) Professor Jane Long, after reading this article, seeks  to clarify La Trobe's position on the wearing of Indigenous regalia by graduating students.  Currently, La Trobe does not prohibit the wearing of Indigenous regalia, should a graduating student so choose.  She understands that a contrary impression may have been created  as a result of some discussion of the subject between students and staff members in early 2013.  Further work will clarify these matters for the University community in the near future.  She is, however,  keen to assure students that current graduation requirements do not prohibit the wearing of such regalia, and extends her best wishes to the recent graduates in Family Therapy.]