Ricco and his classmates at an Indigenous Australian community school near Alice Springs file into the classroom.
Teacher Everybody blowing your noses now. One nostril. The other one. Good. Charlie, I can’t hear you.
The children jump up and down, clapping.
Children Three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!
The children are now seated on the floor.
Teacher OK? No, no, no.
Ricco We can sing out very loud now.
Teacher OK, ready, do it again now.
Children Two little dickey birds. Come back, Peter, come back, Paul.
Teacher They come back?
Ricco Yeah!
Teacher One more time?
Children Yeah!
Teacher Ready?
Children (singing with teacher) Two little dickey birds sitting on a wall. One named Peter, one named Paul. Fly away, Peter. Fly away, Paul.
Ricco and another boy sit on the floor looking at a book.
Ricco (voice-over, with English subtitles) I like to learn. (to boy) You can’t get here with boat.
Boy That’s you, hey?
Ricco Look there. (voice-over) We learn about Mexico and Nigeria. (to boy) I’m going Mexico, right here, look.
Boy Ricco. Look. Look! Oh, all the ruins!
Ricco walks over to camera with his book.
Ricco You see, that’s my passport.
Filmmaker What’s that?
Ricco Passport. We’ve been past Nigeria here, look. We’ve been past this. And we do things, look.
Ricco stands in front of a world map.
Filmmaker Where have you been in your passport? Show me.
Ricco Here. (points) Mexico.
Filmmaker And where do you live all the time?
Ricco Here. (points to middle of Australia)
Filmmaker Where?
Ricco Here. (points again)
Filmmaker Where’s that?
Ricco Here, right here.
Ricco is walking outside. He walks over to a door and one of the other boys tries to stop him from entering.
Ricco (voice-over) Fiona teaches us for Warlpiri. My skin name is Japaljarri.
Boy Hey! Ah! Get out!
Inside the classroom, Fiona conducts a lesson. The kids are seated on the floor.
Fiona (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) You two are no good, you’re showing off. If you come to Warlpiri class, sit down good at Warlpiri class without being crazy. Do you learn Warlpiri here or nothing?
Fiona points a ruler at words on a noticeboard as the kids recite for her.
Fiona (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) Can all of you say it? What is this?
Ricco (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) Kangaroo
Fiona (speaks Warlpiri with English subtitles) Harley Jampajinpa and Joseph Jampajinpa. See you are Jampajinpa like this one. Who is Japaljarri here? (holds up name tag) Ricco is Japaljarri.