The map every Australian needs to learn NOW: Teachers vow to show their students map showing the Indigenous names of our capital cities
- Teachers vowed to show students a map of Australia with Indigenous names
- Aboriginal group Connecting with Country posted the map to social media
- Teachers pledged to incorporate lessons about Aboriginal names in their classes
Teachers have vowed to show their students a map of Australia with original Aboriginal names of capital cities in a bid to better educate kids about the nation's indigenous history.
Aboriginal studies group Connecting with Country posted a photo of the map to social media, titled: 'All our capital cities had names long before 1788,' referring to the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia.
The map shows the Indigenous name for Perth as Boorloo, Darwin as Garrmalang, Brisbane as Meanjin, Melbourne as Naarm, Hobart as Nipaluna, Adelaide as Tarndanya, and Sydney as Warrang.
The post gained attention from a number of teachers, who pledged to incorporate lessons about Australia's Aboriginal history and original names into their classes' curriculum.
Aboriginal studies group Connecting with Country posted a photo of the map to social media, titled: 'All our capital cities had names long before 1788,' referring to the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia
'Thank you for sharing this. I've taken a screen shot so I can share it with my Year 5 class tomorrow,' one teacher said.
'I have added it to my slide presentation on Australian Geography for Year 3s,' said another.
There was debate over the use Sydney's Aboriginal name 'Warrang,' with one person pointing out that Guringgai, Dharug, Gundungurra and Darawal are actually the city's names.
'These words do not pertain to tribes they are the names of areas they are not language areas or tribal areas they are geographical derived from the physical features of those areas which are embedded in the landscape,' the Facebook user said.
'To suggest that Sydney had a name before 1788 is incorrect as Sydney did not exist until 1788.'
It comes after the Black Lives Matter gained momentum in Australia, with calls for certain states' names to be changed to avoid honouring colonialism.
Aboriginal activist and former MP Lidia Thorpe called for Victoria's name to be changed because the state is named after British Empire ruler Queen Victoria.
'Anything that's named after someone who's caused harm or murdered people, then I think we should take their name down,' she said.
Black Lives Matter protests also sparked calls to tear down monuments linked to Australia's colonial past.
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A 50-year-old statue of Captain Cook in Cairns is under threat after activists petitioned for it to be torn down over the British Royal Navy captain's treatment of Aboriginal people when his ship landed in Australia.
The petition claims the statue is a 'slap in the face to all indigenous people', saying Cook's legacy was one of 'forced removal, slavery, genocide and stolen land'.
Two other statues of the explorer, both in Sydney, have already been defaced as Black Lives Matter protests shine a light on racial inequality.
There are growing calls for statues of Cook to be removed, though Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended the explorer's legacy and controversially declared there was 'no slavery in Australia' - a comment he has since apologised for.
Aboriginal activist and former MP Lidia Thorpe called for Victoria's name to be changed because the state is named after British Empire ruler Queen Victoria
'It's a slap in the face to all indigenous people,' a petition read.
'For us it represents dispossession, forced removal, slavery, genocide, stolen land, and loss of culture - among many other things.'
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has also voiced his support for the statues to stay.
'You can't rewrite history, you have to learn from it,' he told Sydney radio 2GB.
'The idea that you go back to year zero of history is in my view, just quite frankly unacceptable.'
Mr Morrison has previously said he wanted to help the public to gain a better understanding of Captain Cook's historic voyage.
'That voyage is the reason Australia is what it is today and it's important we take the opportunity to reflect on it,' Mr Morrison said.
Black Lives Matter protests sparked calls to tear down monuments linked to Australia's colonial past across the country. Pictured: Captain Cook statue in Cairns has stood since 1972, but protesters want it to be taken down
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