Maori action songs to which the Aboriginal people became almost addicted—at every opportunity they asked for a repeat of the performance.

Racial Pride Lost The Aborigine has not retained the pride of race and identity with his ancestors as the Maori has—many of the younger people are growing up without any knowledge of their tribal traditions and in many cases without even a smattering of their own language. This, to our eyes, was a tragedy, for they had nothing of their own with which to identify themselves. Strengthening this pride of race became one of our aims. In helping start their pre-school groups, we suggested that grandfathers and grandmothers become members of the team, and spend time in telling the children the many fascinating legends of the past. We also suggested that they The Woodenbong Aborigines in discussion at Evans Head. begin to help the children understand their own language. One of the satisfactions I gained later at Woodenbong, was to hear mothers repeating to their children the names of familiar objects in their own language.

Eager for Information The weekend at Evan's Head was spent in discussing the methods of setting up pre-school groups, the nature and purposes of the different kinds of play and the absolute importance of mothers developing insight through a knowledge of the stages of development and through observation and interpretation of their children's behaviour. The Aborigines were eager for the information we gave. They were naturally observant, and as the stages of development were introduced they saw that their children had grown in the same way. From the discussions we had, many things became clearer. These people desperately wanted to help themselves, to make their own decisions. Ours became the supporting role. We would tell of what we had done and from this would come the desire to do the same thing, but in terms of their conditions and needs. Another was that because of their own poverty and lack of Government support, improvisation and the use of local materials were the only means of meeting the need for equipment.

Memorable People In the group we met many whom we will never forget. There was Jim Morgan, a leader of his people, who was the first full blooded Aborigine appointed to the Aboriginal Welfare Board. Largely self taught, Jim had an ability that would have taken him anywhere. He was a remarkable man, combining the traditions of his past with the progressions of the modern world. There was Nellie, a WIDOW with six children, whose eldest child was in a good job in Queensland and whose second child had just been awarded a scholarship that would enable her to continue at High School. Nellie's character was all strength and determination and some bitterness because of the white man's treatment of her race. Her strength was centred on her children in an effort to improve their chances of success in a world that had not dealt kindly with her and her generation. In the A.F.E.C. she saw an opportunity to learn more about her children, and in the few days we were with her, we saw her attitude to her youngest child changing as she realised that guidance was just as effective as coercion. Margaret was the mother of five children and one of the most vital and alive people ever met. She loved children and they loved her. When it became clear that we were just ordinary mothers with no formal professional training, who had learned to manage a preschool and in turn help other mothers, there was a dramatic change in her. She appeared to find reassurance and a new identity. We hope that this will be strong enough to carry her through the trials that lie ahead.