Early Indigenous Activism in Australia

Active learning works for this topic because it centers Indigenous voices in historical events often overlooked in textbooks. Students engage with primary sources and stories of resistance, seeing activism as a continuum rather than isolated events, which fosters deeper empathy and critical analysis.

• Year 10
• HASS
• 4 activities
• 30 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the primary goals of early Indigenous protest movements in Australia, such as achieving citizenship and land rights.
2. Explain the historical context and significance of the 1938 Day of Mourning as a pivotal moment in Indigenous activism.
3. Compare and contrast the strategies and outcomes of early Indigenous activism in Australia with the US Civil Rights Movement.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of non-violent protest methods employed by figures like William Cooper and Charles Perkins.
5. Identify key individuals and organizations involved in early Indigenous activism and their contributions.

Gallery Walk

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Activist Timelines

Small groups research and create timelines for Cooper, Perkins, and Day of Mourning events using primary sources. Post timelines around the room. Students walk the gallery, adding sticky notes with connections to US Civil Rights. Debrief as a class on patterns in methods.

Prepare & details

Analyze the goals and methods of early Indigenous protest movements.

Facilitation Tip: For the Gallery Walk, post timeline cards at stations and have small groups rotate, discussing patterns like recurring tactics or overlapping activist networks.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Role Play

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Role Play: Day of Mourning Protest

Assign roles as activists, government officials, and observers. Groups prepare speeches on mourning vs celebration. Perform in a simulated Sydney gathering. Reflect in journals on goals and emotional impact.

Prepare & details

Explain the significance of the 1938 Day of Mourning.

Facilitation Tip: During the Role Play, assign roles based on historical figures’ backgrounds and beliefs to ensure diverse perspectives are represented in the discussion.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Venn Diagram: Cross-Movement Comparison

Pairs chart similarities and differences between Australian Day of Mourning and US March on Washington. Use images and quotes. Share one unique insight per pair with the class.

Prepare & details

Compare early Indigenous activism to the US Civil Rights Movement.

Facilitation Tip: In the Venn Diagram activity, model how to compare movements by filling in one shared characteristic together before letting students work independently.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Gallery Walk

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Petition Drive Simulation

Whole class drafts a modern petition inspired by Cooper's. Vote on wording, collect signatures. Discuss effectiveness of petitions vs other methods.

Prepare & details

Analyze the goals and methods of early Indigenous protest movements.

Facilitation Tip: For the Petition Drive Simulation, provide blank templates and guide students to draft petitions with clear demands and signatures to mimic Cooper’s 1930s campaign.

Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter

Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should focus on the courage and strategy of Indigenous activists, avoiding a narrative that frames their actions as merely reactive. Use primary sources to humanize figures like William Cooper and Charles Perkins, and connect local activism to global movements like the US Civil Rights struggle. Research shows that when students role-play historical figures, their retention of complex social dynamics improves significantly.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently explaining the goals of activists, identifying the methods they used, and connecting these actions to broader social movements. They should articulate how early protests laid groundwork for later civil rights efforts.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Gallery Walk, listen for students assuming Indigenous activism began only in the 1960s. Redirect by pointing to pre-1938 timeline cards, such as Cooper’s 1933 petition or the 1938 Day of Mourning, and ask, 'What do these earlier events suggest about the timeline of resistance?'

What to Teach Instead

During the Gallery Walk, have students note at least two events that occurred before 1940 and describe how they connect to later activism like Perkins’ walks. This forces them to recognize the long arc of resistance.

Common Misconception

During the Role Play of the Day of Mourning, watch for students dismissing early protests as ineffective. Pause the role play to ask, 'What evidence from the protest’s goals or public reactions suggests these actions had an impact?'

What to Teach Instead

During the Role Play, assign one student to track audience reactions or newspaper excerpts that show shifts in public opinion, then discuss how these subtle changes laid groundwork for future gains.

Common Misconception

During the Venn Diagram activity, some students may claim only educated urban Indigenous people protested. Use the gallery walk posters to redirect by asking, 'What profiles or roles do you see represented in these events that contradict this idea?'

What to Teach Instead

During the Venn Diagram activity, provide image cards of activists from varied backgrounds (rural, urban, different language groups) and have students sort them into the diagram to highlight the diversity of participation.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Role Play: Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt, 'Imagine you are an Indigenous Australian in 1938. Based on what you have learned in the role play, would you participate in the Day of Mourning? Explain your reasoning, referencing the goals and potential impacts of the protest.' Assess by noting whether students connect their personal response to the historical context and activist strategies.

Quick Check

During the Gallery Walk: Provide students with a short primary source quote from William Cooper or Charles Perkins. Ask them to identify which key vocabulary term best describes the action or idea presented in the quote and explain their choice in one sentence. Collect responses to check for accuracy in terminology and understanding of activist methods.

Exit Ticket

After the Petition Drive Simulation: Ask students to list two specific goals of early Indigenous activists and one method they used to achieve those goals. Then, have them write one sentence comparing a tactic used in Australia to one used in the US Civil Rights Movement. Use this to assess their ability to connect local and global activism.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research and present on another early Indigenous activist not covered in class, using the same analysis framework.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters for the Venn Diagram, such as 'One similarity is...' or 'Both movements used...' to guide students with limited background knowledge.
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare a protest tactic from early Indigenous activism to a modern movement, analyzing why certain methods endure or change over time.

Key Vocabulary

Day of Mourning	A protest event held on January 26, 1938, by Indigenous Australians to mark 150 years of colonial rule and to highlight the discrimination and suffering of Aboriginal peoples.
Assimilation Policy	A government policy aimed at absorbing Indigenous Australians into the wider white society, often involving the removal of children from their families and the suppression of Indigenous culture.
Aborigines' Progressive Native Association	An early Indigenous rights organization founded in the 1930s, which played a significant role in advocating for Indigenous rights and organizing protests, including the Day of Mourning.
Petition	A formal written request, signed by many people, appealing to authority, in this context, to the British Crown or Australian government for specific rights or changes in policy.