Our NAIDOC assembly this year was opened by one of our Koori students, Jasper Toomey, who acknowledged the Traditional Owners of this land and the past and present Elders of the Djirringanj people. Special guests were our Aboriginal community representatives Bruce Toomey from National Parks, and Donna Aldridge from the local Land Council.
The students were welcomed to the assembly by the voices of Casey Donovan and Christina Anu – both amazing women – in line with the theme for NAIDOC 2018: Because of Her, We Can!
Students were educated about this theme through information from the NAIDOC website.
NAIDOC Week 2018 celebrates the invaluable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made – and continue to make – to our communities, our families, our rich history and to our Nation.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women play active roles in the community at local, state and national levels. They are leaders, trailblazers, politicians and activists who rally for social change. They have fought and continue to fight for justice, equal rights, rights to country, education and employment. Women celebrate our cultures, languages, music and art and continue to influence as doctors, lawyers, teachers, academics, sporting icons and Olympians – the list goes on.
They are our mothers, Elders, grandmothers, aunties, sisters and daughters.
Sadly, Indigenous women’s roles have often been invisible and they probably haven’t been thanked enough by us all. Today at Merimbula Public School, we said thanks to them for all they do.
For at least 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried our Dreaming stories, Songlines, languages and knowledge that have kept our culture strong and enriched us as the oldest continuing culture on the planet.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were there at first contact. They were there at the Torres Strait Pearlers strike in 1936, the Day of Mourning in 1938, the 1939 the Cummeragunja walk-off, at the 1946 Pilbara pastoral workers’ strike, the 1965 Freedom Rides, the Wave Hill walk-off in 1966, on the front line of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972, the 1967 Referendum and the drafting of the Uluru Statement.
They have marched, protested and spoken at gatherings for rights, justice and reforms. Women have done all this while caring for our families to help break down cultural barriers and gender stereotypes. They demanded a better life, greater opportunities and equal rights for all.
They were pioneering women like Barangaroo, Truganiui, Gladys Elphick, Fanny Cochrane-Smith, Rosalie Kunoth Monks, Pearl Gibbs and Oodgeroo Noonuccal. Just to name a few.
Today, they are trailblazers like Joyce Clague, Yalmay Yunupingu, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Nova Peris and Pat O’Shane. Again, just to name a few. The achievements of these women, their voices and passion, give us strength and they have empowered past generations and paved the way for generations to come.
Students then heard from some students who shared why they found these women so inspirational, complete with a slideshow showing each of the women.
Next, a Dreaming story that our MPS Koori kids made was shared. This was a local Dreaming story ‘The Bittangabee Tribe’, created by Aboriginal students from the south coast of New South Wales and written by a wonderful local Aboriginal lady, Beryl Cruze. We acknowledged Beryl for all she brought to the Far South Coast in line with the theme Because of Her, We Can!
Ms George and our choir then performed ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’.
The assembly was closed with another fantastic Aboriginal woman who made it to the finals of Eurovision for 2018 – Jessica Mauboy singing ‘We Got Love’.
