Inspired by ancient Aboriginal technologies like weaving, today 15-year-old Emjae Woods loves to share her cultural knowledge with others.
Emjae is in year 10 at Lake Illawarra High School and volunteers to teach cultural and technology-based workshops, representing her community and championing young people.
“I’m Dhungutti, from near Kempsey. That’s my mob, but I’ve lived down on Dharawal land all my life,” Emjae says.
“I like working with the kids and even people my age. I just like teaching them and making them happy, encouraging them,”
In January she became the youngest winner at the Shellharbour Community Awards, receiving the Community Capacity Builder prize for her work in empowering young First Nations students.
Emjae is a Student Representative Council (SRC) member who works with students at schools in the area, facilitating cultural dance, storytelling, art and gardening programs. She is also part of the Black Swans group, which has performed cultural dance and sung together for almost a decade.
“I really like to teach and pass on knowledge, because it’s really rewarding to see someone becoming happier and have more courage and confidence in themselves,” Emjae says.
Emjae learned the Dharawal language from a program offered by Southern Youth and Family Services (SYFS), which was recommended to her through school.
“They did this Indigenous program where they would teach you art and language. It was really cool.”
Emjae is committed to growing and sharing her cultural knowledge, and has taken part in CSIRO’s Deadly in Generation STEM (DIGS) and Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy programs.
“I’m an active member in a lot of the stuff they do. They teach so much about STEM and Indigenous knowledge,” Emjae says,
“It feels so inspiring. I feel relaxed. I feel like I’m seen.”
Through CSIRO, Emjae has been facilitating workshops for primary and high school students to learn about Aboriginal technologies and weaving.
“We introduce them to Indigenous plants that we weave with and explain what technology is, and how Indigenous people have used it for thousands of years and what that means,” Emjae says.
“We walk them through the process of two different types of weavings, two strings and three strings, using either raffia or Indigenous plants.
“We even get them to test the strength of their weaving by getting them to hold it up by a string and put rocks in it – they love that part.”
After high school, Emjae would like to study engineering at university.
“Technology is everything,” Emjae says.
“Like with the weaving, all the techniques and machines we use now, lots of them are built off Indigenous knowledge of how the world works, and how things move.”
Emjae was nominated for Young Citizen of the Year, alongside her award as Community Capacity Builder in January.
“I was so excited and shocked to win,” Emjae says.
“There are so many good people in our community, the runner-ups and people who were nominated as well.
“I was so inspired by them. Learning about them and other people’s experiences was amazing.”
Emjae thanks her Aunty Nyssa Murray Forrester, CSIRO and her elders for the support she has received.
“My Aunty has done so much. She's such a big supporter of the Indigenous community and she's always out there doing all of these things for us.
“It’s all about asking questions and reaching out.”