From July 3 – 10, we celebrated NAIDOC Week. This year’s national theme was Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! to pay respect to the history and activism of our First Nations peoples. Our activities include an NRL All-Abilities Clinic, art workshops, and bush tucker cooking.
The NAIDOC NRL All-Abilities Clinic was an initiative of the Disability Trust Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group, partnering The Disability Trust Sports and Recreation with the St George Illawarra Dragons. It was held on Dharawal Country at the Croome Rd Sporting Complex, Albion Park. This was an inclusive event for ages 12-18.
Uncle Richard Campbell and staff from Gumaraa performed a Welcome to Dharawal Country, conduct a smoking ceremony and played the yidaki (didgeridoo).
The Disability Trust’s Sport and Recreation team, along with the Dragons, ran individual skills stations. There was also a First Nations representative from NSW Sports running Indigenous games, and NRL Wheelchair running a wheelchair rugby league workshop and games. It was an excellent event that we are hoping to make annual. Watch here for highlights from the day. https://fb.watch/ffKczaXqUW/
In Moss Vale, Disability Employment Services Entrepreneurship Facilitator Naomi Smith celebrated NAIDOC with the staff and students at Moss Vale TAFE. Everyone participated in creating a fantastic piece of art for the healing garden and learnt about Torres Strait Islander Culture through appreciating a didgeridoo healing session.
Southern Highlands Services Club Trust Monday Art Group visited Ngununggula Regional Art Gallery in Bowral, where they received an informative talk about the Megan Cope artwork “Gundungurra Ngurra” in the Entry Pavilion. The Art Group were very happy to learn a local Gundungurra word Ngununggula meaning belonging.
SHS Club Trust Tuesday cuisine group researched traditional First Nations meals. They settled on Barramundi with lemon myrtle sauce and mash potato. Barramundi is a native fish and would have been smoked to preserve it for travel and swapping with other tribes. The Ipomosa Costata is a tuba native to the northern parts of Australia and is referred to as the bush potato or Karnti. It is a drought resistant tuba but is sensitive to the frost. This plant is a totemic plant and features strongly in Indigenous stories passed from generations to generations.
