Aunty Toni Baxter loves teaching culture to children.
The Biripi and Worimi woman is an education worker at Taree Public School, and regularly teaches Indigenous children dance.
Aunty Toni says she sees them grow in confidence as they dance.
“When they go away, their cups are full of culture … they’re just shining and glowing and they’re smiling.”
That confidence is sure to have received a boost recently; a video of the students celebrating culture with a song about what it means to be part of the Biripi nation has gone viral.
Taree is the main town on Biripi Country, located more than 300 kilometres north of Sydney.
Also featured in the video is a performance of the “fishing dance”, taught to the children by Aunty Toni.
11-year-old Biripi girl Gypsy-Rose Ridgeway is one of the performers featured in the video, which has now been seen more than 17,000 times online.
"It’s really amazing to see how far it went," she said.
Music teacher Matt Zarb from the Australian Children’s Music Foundation helped the children write the Biripi Song’s lyrics and music.
Mr Zarb said the primary students practised the music every week, and that it had a surprising effect on the children.
“Through music, kids who didn't come to school so much would turn up on a Wednesday,” he said.
“That's why I do what I do; I love music so much but I also know the changes that happen for every child that accesses that.”
The lyrics are in both English and Biripi.
“It’s become much more prominent for these children to speak language.
“It was banned years ago. Now it’s part of what they’re teaching children. So it's usual for these kids to say ‘marrumbu Matty’ when we’re finished, which means ‘thank you’ in Biripi.”
Aunty Toni Baxter says the ‘fishing dance’ in the video clip tells the story about how their ancestors used to go fishing at the saltwater estuary on the coast close to Taree.
“Years ago our ancestors went to saltwater. That's a traditional place, a significant place for our mob here,” she said.
“We went fishing …the women pushing the nets up to the ... men, and the men spearing the fish.”
12-year-old Spencer Maltby-Beasley can be seen in the video wielding a spear, in honour of the traditional practice.
“It means a lot because I’m dancing in my culture,” the boy said.
When Aunty Toni Baxter saw the children dancing and the public reaction to the video, she was full of pride.
“It makes me feel so good. It's amazing, a priceless moment. These kids are going to be leaders one day.”
