Many non-Indigenous Australians have never met an Indigenous person. This lack of personal contact has led to misconceptions about Indigenous Australians in the wider Australian community.

These misconceptions are often manifested as racist behaviour and intolerant attitudes. Many of the stories in the Yarning Strong series address the impact such views have on the Indigenous community.

The Behind the Stories DVD addresses a number of these misconceptions, with the intention of dispelling stereotypical and often negative racist assumptions. Students and teachers can hear firsthand from four Aboriginal people who graciously agreed to take part in these interviews and share their knowledge. These presenters answer questions that relate specifically to the Yarning Strong books within each of the Family, Identity, Land and Law modules, including:

• Am I allowed to go to a sacred site?
• What is a Welcome to Country?
• How can you be Aboriginal if you don’t have dark skin?
• What is a totem?
• The Stolen Generation happened a long time ago. What’s it got to do with anyone today?
• How come some people get called Aunty and Uncle even though they’re not your relatives?
• It seems like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids get into trouble with the law a lot. Why is this?

For more information about each presenter, click on the links below:

• Identity
• Family
• Law
• Land