American recreation studies student Justin Lopez wanted to become more culturally aware by studying in Australia and he certainly has achieved that.

Among a number of tourism and health-related courses, Justin enrolled in Indigenous studies through Nulloo Yumbah, CQU’s Centre for Indigenous Learning, Spirituality and Research.

“I enrolled in Indigenous studies because it is a high interest area for me personally. I have always been interested in seeing how a society became the way it is and what made this part of world change from Indigenous to European,” Justin explained.

“Many facts sounded unbelievably similar to how the native Americans were treated and killed when the first European settlers came".

Justin believes the only weapon against history repeating itself is education and understanding.

“I’m glad when I see other people from my generation willing to discover information and broaden their horizons".

Justin recently took part in a tour of significant local Darumbal sites including Mount Archer National Park, Mount Jim Crow National Park, Bluff Point National Park, Tanby Point and Mount Wheeler.

During the tour he met local Woppaburra and Darumbal descendant Bob Muir who spoke about the extent of the Darumbal Nation, bush tucker, local totems, Dreamtime stories, massacres and much more.

Justin’s home town is Oak Lawn, Illinois, but while he is in Australia, home is Capricornia College, CQU’s residential college in Rockhampton.

“Australia had always been somewhere I wanted to visit and I chose Rockhampton because a good friend back home had visited here and recommended it".

Although Justin is unsure of his long-term career aspirations, he would like to work as a paramedic for a few years and help teach and educate children as well.

Photo: Coast historian Toby Clinch, Marg Jaffery and international student Justin Lopez from USA find out more about the Darumbal history during a recent tour organised by CQU.