Honouring our elders, nurturing our youth
News bulletin: 22 June 2009
Get involved in NAIDOC Week and celebrate the achievements of Indigenous communities.
National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week, 5-12 July 2009, showcase the achievements of Indigenous communities Australia-wide.
The theme for NAIDOC 2009 is ‘Honouring our Elders, Nurturing Our Youth’ and Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, encourages all communities to come together for this event and to celebrate the achievements, culture and history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
NAIDOC 2009 places great importance on the role of elders as inspirational leaders and mentors to young people. This year NAIDOC Week’s intentions were to reflect the many important contributions elders have made to Australian communities. The week would promote the achievements of elders, past and present, as a means to draw inspiration for the future direction of Australia’s youth.
As a part of NAIDOC Week, local community celebrations will be organised by government agencies, local councils, schools and workplaces. Some of the activities that NAIDOC has encouraged communities to get involved in, include; inviting indigenous elders to speak at schools, flag-raising ceremonies, dreamtime reading sessions, Indigenous music appreciation and research into the traditional Indigenous owners of your area.
Indigenous Australians were encouraged to enter a poster competition that reflected the theme ‘Honouring our Elders, Nurturing Our Youth’. The winner for 2009 was artist Luke Mallie, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander from Mackay, North Queensland. Luke’s artwork, entitled ‘Carrying on Our Culture’, drew inspiration from the teachings of elders and their nurturing of the young. Judges were struck by the vibrancy of his work and its depiction of youth showing respect to their elders.
Other celebrations, such as the NAIDOC Ball and Awards Ceremony 2009 will be hosted on 10 July, in Brisbane. These awards recognise the significant contributions in art, culture, music, education, sport, employment and politics.
For more information on NAIDOC week and to view this year’s winning artwork by Luke Mallie, see: NAIDOC Week 2009