Yet UNE’s new cultural engagement officer knows that not all First Nations people have the same experience.
“Aboriginal people are not all the same; we have each grown up differently, so support needs to be tailored,” Larissa said. “Like everyone at Oorala, I am committed to making Indigenous students’ journeys as comfortable as possible; to being there to sit down with them and have a yarn, give advice and advocate for them. You can do that in a smaller university like UNE.”
Less than a month into her new role, Larissa has hit the ground running. No stranger to UNE, she has been welcoming people to Country for some time (most recently at our 70th gala dinner), previously worked in the events and media team at Oorala and undertook Oorala’s TRACKS program “20-odd years ago”.
As well as supporting her father, UNE elder-in-residence Colin Ahoy, and Anaiwan Elder Uncle Steve Widders in their official duties, Larissa is currently running a workshop for junior female students of Armidale High School to support their wellbeing, advising UNE’s schools on cultural protocols, and accompanying the UNE student engagement team on its school visits. Discussions are also underway with UNE lecturers on the inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives in teaching content.
“When we visit schools, a lot of students don’t believe university is for them. That’s part of my role; to remind them we belong here and that UNE is a welcoming and inclusive place. That if someone like me, born and bred on the Armidale mission, can be here, then they can, too.”
One of Colin and Phyllis Ahoy’s six children, Larissa has always had a strong sense of self. “My parents, and especially my Dad, have always been activists for land rights and in Aboriginal politics. He founded our Anaiwan Aboriginal Football Club, Narwan Eels, 45 years ago. Me and my brothers and sisters are in a good position because of my parents. Just being out here and able to work with my Dad is a great honour.
“I knew who I was from a young age, and I want that for the students I work with. If they know where they come from and are strong in their identity, they will be strong in their voices. If they don’t have strong voices, how can they be heard?
“Our students are often away from home, away from their family support, and that’s very hard for an Aboriginal person. At Oorala, we try to be that home away from home; their family when that family is not here.”
It was questions about her mother’s history that originally brought Larissa to UNE.
“I came through TRACKS when I was trying to understand why my grandmother’s kids were taken away by the welfare authorities,” she said. “My mother was the only one of seven who wasn’t taken, because she was hidden up in the manhole. And it meant my family has lived a pretty decent life. But life was hell for my Mum’s brothers and sisters and my cousins. I came to UNE to seek some answers.”
An accomplished artist, Larissa has six children of her own and has given Anaiwan language lessons in primary and high schools throughout the New England region. She is also a board member of the Armidale Aboriginal Land Council.
“I wouldn’t call myself a leader but a worker,” Larissa said. “The students I work with face so many obstacles; it’s unbelievable. No matter where they come from, I want to connect with them and offer that family touch, as if they were my mob.
“I want to see more Aboriginal people studying at UNE and being seen in places that they aren’t currently seen. To watch them succeed and become decision-makers in all sectors of society.”
