My name is Erin McDonald, I am have connections to the Gurreng Gurreng people through my mother and also have connections to Thursday and Mer Islands in the Torres Strait through my father. I have spent most of my life in and around Brisbane.

I have been in education for 25 years from a classroom teacher to working with schools across the Brisbane and Ipswich areas on embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the school. I have been the Deputy Principal at Hymba Yumba for 9 years.

Hymba Yumba has always been grounded in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders knowledges, cultures and practices taught from our Elders and families. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges is learnt through cultural practices and processes that jarjums engage in everyday using the language of the local Yuggera and Ugarapul peoples.

We ensure that the Australian Curriculum is embedded with the knowledges of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to engage our jarjums in guide and support them into the 21st century.