Mabuiag Island’s Davontai Mooka (back left) and his Radiant Life College classmates take time out from their Japanese cultural exchange for a group photo of the trip principal Nathanael Edwards described as “life-changing”. Photo: Supplied.
Mabuiag Island student Davontai Mooka has just wrapped up the experience of a lifetime after he and a group of classmates from Innisfail’s Radiant Life College travelled to Japan to immerse themselves in the local culture while sharing their own.
The group embarked upon a week-long cultural exchange that involved visits to places like the Australian Embassy and Trade and Investment Queensland in Tokyo, Google and a secondary school in Sendai.
One of the highlights of the trip was the visit to the Sendai secondary school, where the Radiant Life College students performed and shared aspects of their First Nations culture as they learnt about local traditions and Japanese culture.
Fourteen-year-old Davontai said it had been an honour to share his Torres Strait Islander heritage with the Japanese students and named the visit to Google’s Tokyo office as his personal highlight.
“Visiting the Google office in Tokyo was the most exciting experience,” he told Cape York Weekly.
“I felt proud sharing my First Nations culture and was honoured to learn about the local Japanese culture.”
Principal Nathanael Edwards said the trip had been “15 years in the making”, adding he had been thrilled to watch the students from both countries bond and begin to collaborate.
“It was more than just an overseas trip – it was about showing the importance of sharing and preserving our culture on a global level,” he said.
“As the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture, it’s vital for our young people to see themselves as part of a global community.
“It was a life-changing experience for our First Nations students, putting in perspective First Nations culture and education on a global stage.
“One moment during the trip stood out to me – hearing students discuss the possibility of working internationally and recognising the important role their culture can play in a global context.”
The bonds between the schools will continue to grow when English teachers from the Sendai school visit Cairns and Radiant Life College on a study tour in late 2024.
