Celebrate NAIDOC: Heal Country!

Gurumba bigi (G'day - Yuggera - Brisbane Region)

This week we celebrate NAIDOC around the country, we come together each year to celebrate and learn more of the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year the theme - Heal Country! - invites us to embrace First Nations cultural knowledges and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage. It calls upon us to think about what Country means, how we connect to Country, and how we can continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites, and our cultural heritage.

Country is more than a place. Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language. 

The theme invites the nation to embrace First Nations cultural knowledges and understanding of Country as part of Australia’s national heritage, and to equally respect the cultures and values of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as they do the cultures and values of all Australians.

 

Heal Country, heal our nation.

Check out these links for some interesting ways to get involved:

• Learn more about NAIDOC Week through the official NAIDOC website.

• Learn more about the Country on which you live and work using the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia.

• Learn how to pronounce Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sounds, and how to say G'day in Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages here.

• Learn about the Turrbal people, Traditional Owners and Custodians of Brisbane

• Learn how to use delicious, native Australian ingredients in your baking, and where to shop for supplies.

• Learn about Acknowledging Country

• Read up on history 

• Watch on SBS and NITV

Artwork: Care For Country by Maggie-Jean Douglas (Gubbi Gubbi)

When creating ‘Care for Country’ I kept in mind that this meant spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially and culturally – I chose to create a bright and vibrant artwork that included the different colours of the land but showed how they come together in our beautiful country and to make people feel hopeful for the future. I’ve included communities/people, animals and bush medicines spread over different landscapes of red dirt, green grass, bush land and coastal areas to tell the story of the many ways country can and has healed us throughout our lives and journeys.