Narana helps celebrate National Water Week

PRIMARY school pupils explored Indigenous culture in Grovedale last week as part of celebrations for National Water Week.

The event at Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre was inspired by the theme for this year’s National Water Week – “Water: the heart of our culture”.

Starting with a Welcome to Country ceremony from traditional owners the Wadawurrung, pupils from Northern Bay College then took part in a variety of activities, including painting and learning to throw a boomerang, a nature walk visiting emus and wallabies, learning about bush tucker and native medicine plants, and a session to discover the wonders of the tiny waterbugs that inhabit local waterways with Corangamite Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Waterwatch staff.

Corangamite CMA’s Kristen Lees said this year’s National Water Week partnership event was an opportunity for pupils to discover in a fun way more about Australia’s Indigenous cultural heritage and how it links to our environment, in particular our waterways.

Barwon Water’s Fernando Garcia said water played a vital role in our culture, helping shape everyday lives through recreational activities, the natural world and community values.

“Hosting the celebrations at Narana provides an opportunity to understand the role water plays in Aboriginal culture. The Wadawurrung have a deep spiritual connection with the land and this flows through in the stories and culture of the Aboriginal people.

“As water managers, Barwon Water values these stories. We can learn a great deal from the traditional custodians who have been managing the land and water sustainably over thousands of generations.”