I think last week was one of the most
enjoyable and passionate NAIDOC’s I’ve ever had. With so many interesting and
engaging events, so much positive energy floating around the atmosphere, and so
many new faces celebrating the best of Indigenous Australia, what was not
to love?
I can’t let any more time pass by without
sharing some of the moments that made me smile most, and indeed, the memories that will continue to give me
strength when I stop to consider how much further we have to go to ensure
equality for Indigenous Australians.
I’d love to hear what some of your favourite
moments of the week were also, in the meantime, here’s mine:
DEPT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL & JUSTICE: With National Reconciliation Week only a couple of months behind
us, where ‘talking recognition’ was this year’s theme, it was great for me to
be part of the NAIDOC Week launch at the Attorney General’s office in Sydney,
where they were also celebrating the Departments own Reconciliation Action Plan.
With a welcome to country by Wiradjuri Elder Aunty Millie Ingram – pictured
with me above – a warm address by Director General Valda Rusis, and some
amazing bush tucker including crocodile and damper, it was the perfect launch
into a full-on week.
ABORIGINL AFFAIRS NSW: What a
wonderful reunion of old friends and colleagues for me at the NAIDIOC luncheon
where I delivered a keynote on celebrating identity. With an invitation
extended by Gayle Caldwell (a sista from Koori Radio and current board member
of Gadigal Information Services), an introduction by an old uni-mate who is now the Director General of the agency,
Jason Ardler, and a few familiar faces in the audience, including Cathy Eatock, it was a
wonderful way to share a meal and celebrate our national week. To add to the excitement
was was the tribute to the Tent Embassy in the foyer of the building.
NAIDOC BALL: Of course
the highlight was always going to be the big shindig in Hobart, where 100s of
people travelled across the country to the host city for the National NAIDOC
Awards. I headed south with a core group of girlfriends and others from both
the NCIE and NASCA as well. The pic above is of NAIDOC fans Georgia Symmons, Australia
Post Jason Schonhagen (Commonwealth
Bank), moi, Jason Glanville (NCIE) and Karen Mundine (Reconciliation Australia)
and had a quick peek at MONA while there. That museum MUST be in the top 10 on
the planet for innovation.
With Ashlee Donohue on the red carpet
The ball itself saw some
hilarious comedy work by the much-loved Sean Choolburra who had us all in fits
of laughter. The ever-gorgeous soul-sista Emma Donovan had us dancing as did
the heartthrob himself, country and western singer Troy Casser-Daly. Biggest surprised
was for those who had never heard of Dewayne EverrettSmith who just wowed us all with his mesmerizing voice. Too solid brother.
A shout out to all the winners (you can read about them all here) and especially to Stephen Page, Artistic Director of Bangarra who took out NAIDOC Artist of the Year, sharing an important message in his speak that art is a deadly medicine. And so it is.
With Australian Opera singer, Don Bemrose
SOCIAL MEDIA: I was
thrilled to see the level of engagement particularly on Twitter last week and
though I don’t think we got #NAIDOC trending for any significant amount of time
(if at all), it was great to see my timeline full of NAIDOC events and
comments. I was also pleased to see some NAIDOC blogging going on, and in case
you missed them, here’s a couple I’d like to point out.
* Leesa Watego’s DEADLY BLOGGERS NAIDOC WEEK
Blog spot.
* NAIDOC Week 2012 by the Melbourne
Museum.
* Celebrating Our First Peoples –
my own words on NAIDOC Week for THE HOOPLA.
What were your highlights of NAIDOC Week 2012?
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