How do people get what they want and need?

Read each of these stories and do the activities to help you think about value and what is valuable to you and others. Some of these things are needs (things you cannot live without) and some of them are wants (things you would like to have, but could live without).

• John - Young Indigenous Student
• Tom - An Elder
• Alice - Indigenous Professional

<

>

​My name is John and I live in Yarrabah, in North Queensland. I like to play with my mates, going fishing, playing football and swimming in the local swimming holes. I love to listen to music on my iPod and watch television and DVDs.

My family and I go hunting for pig in the rainforest. I love to spend this time with my family and friends as we have a lot of fun talking and joking.

I love my footy that much that I take my football everywhere with me; my family and friends always make jokes about my football and me.

​We are having a gathering of the family, this is important to me to see all the family coming together, keeping in touch with one another. My name is Tom and I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters, I have 8 nieces and 2 nephews. So it is like a big party when we all get together. Sometimes my brothers and I go out in the four wheel drive and go hunting for kangaroo and goanna. We have a great time.

This year the whole family is going to Darwin for a holiday to see some of the family and spend Christmas in the city. We will be there for a long time so I need to start saving money. I have budgeted the cost of going to the city and I need to put away $100 a week for us to have enough money to have a good time.

​Hi, my name is Alice and I live and work in Perth. My work takes me all over Australia, conferencing in different states and cities. I love flying and staying in hotels. My work is demanding and I often work long hours, so when I am able to catch up with family and friends it is important that I am able to spend time with them not worrying about work. I love going out dancing and listening to my record collection. I often spend free time looking for records.

I keep in touch with my friends and family using my mobile phone. This is also my connection to work and keeping to deadlines.

I love to keep my family traditions alive by keeping contact with my parents who tell me what is happening within the family and when events are happening, such as gatherings that often have our traditional dancing and singing. This is important to me as I don’t want to lose this connection with my family.

I live in the city in an apartment, so my budget is very important as I have commitments such as the loan repayments on my car, apartment, phone contract, and everyday living costs that I need to meet every fortnight, such as food, electricity, gas and fuel.