Seppi Bassani is representing her clan, the Lama lama Group as a Tutor on the Project for 2005.

Seppi was born in Coen to Sunlight and Florrie Bassani in 1970. She is the only child in her family. Both of her parents are well known respected elders of the Coen community.

Seppi attended and completed grade 1 – 7 at the Coen State primary school and year 8 – 9 in Rockhampton and then finishing her last years 10 – 12 at Atherton High in Atherton.

After her school days, Seppi continued with further studies in Business Management receiving a Certificate III from Batchelor College in Darwin and a Certificate I & II in Primary Health Care & Community Service from the Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE.

During these studies Seppi has held a number of positions in and out of her community. A Health Worker at the Health clinic in Coen, PA to the CEO at the local council; the Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation, Teachers Aide at both the Coen Kindergarten and Coen State School and Legal Aide Assistant at the Cape York Land Council based in Cairns.

Seppi understands by undertaking the training in Certificate III in Indigenous Cultural Transmission through the Every Child Is Special project it will help her learn how to use digital cameras, computers and other advanced technology to collect and gather material that will be preserved and passed on to the children of Coen. All of this will ensure the survival of culture for the future.

Seppi loves kids, she loves working, teaching and being around them. That is why Seppi strongly believes that cultural learning and having a good education will be recognised through this project. Seppi states “Elders will pass on their culture, knowing that it will be safely preserved through this project for herself and the children”.

Seppi is also a part of the Umpila Clan group. This connection is through her father’s side and she is related to the other tutors through clan families in old generations.

Seppi looks at her parents and elders as her role models. She also supports and thinks that Noel Pearson a leading role model for the aboriginal youth of today.

For the future, she wants to see the community and the school working together for their children’s education and passing of cultural knowledge.

After her time on the project, she hopes that her experience would have encouraged the children and families of Coen that education and culture is important. Also with the skills that she’s learnt will help her, help her clan build and take care their homelands at Port Stewart and Silver Plains.

Seppi believes the children are the future if given support, guidance and encouragement by their families and community.