NAIDOC Week was celebrated throughout Broken Hill this week, with this year’s theme The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy focused around passing on cultural knowledge and leadership to younger generations.
NAIDOC Week has been celebrated for almost 90 years, since Aboriginal leaders gathered in Sydney in 1938 for a day of mourning, protesting colonial dispossession. The Day of Mourning was one of the first major civil rights gatherings in Australian history.
The movement evolved in the 1940s, driven by Aboriginal Christian leaders such as William Cooper, who lobbied the church and government to set aside a day for Aboriginal people. By the 1970s, the event had expanded to a full week and by 1991 it became officially known as the National Aborigines and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC).
Wilyakali woman Taunoa Bugmy performed multiple welcome to country ceremonies over the course of the week, and said NAIDOC Week was like Christmas for her community.
“For us it’s like Black Christmas,” she said.
“It’s a chance for us to catch up with mob. It’s a special occasion outside of funerals where we can gather as mob and reconnect.
“So yeah, it’s a very special time. Growing up we celebrated NAIDOC Week every year of our lives, and it’s embedded in us strongly. I don’t ever see a future without it now.”
Ms Bugmy said Maari Ma now hosted the opening ceremony for the week, a flag raising ceremony.
“Council used to host the flag raising ceremony bur a fallout happened when the new mayor took over, so now Maari Ma hosts the ceremony,” she said.
At Mission Australia on Tuesday, NAIDOC Week was celebrated with Johnny cakes, pumpkin soup and kangaroo curry.
Jenna Bottrell, area manager at Mission Australia said NAIDOC Week was a time to reflect.
“I think NAIDOC is just a time to connect and learn and honour the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island young people, and a time we can reflect and learn from the past and walk together for a stronger future where there’s respect and self-determination for everybody,” she said.
“It’s a great week for everyone to come together as a community, and to learn about culture.”
Other events included a cake cutting ceremony hosted by Far West Local Health, Indigenous themed craft sessions at the Broken Hill City Library, a flag raising ceremony at Maari Ma, a barbecue breakfast at the 123 Hub, Munch with Mob lunch at JoblinkPlus, an Aboriginal Land Council Event at the community centre, and the inaugural Warra Warra softball gala day at Zinc oval, due to take place tomorrow.
