WADAWURRUNG Traditional Owner Barry Gilson loaned his talents to NAIDOC Week events across Moorabool last week.<\/p>\n
The Gordon resident wowed crowds with local stories, historical anecdotes and poetry at a special storytelling session. Gilson, also a singer and award-winning poet, said he wanted to share the history of the local land and waterways.<\/p>\n
“I wanted to inform people about its histories, and sometimes obscure stories that people might not know,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I mix things up with a little humour and some serious stuff too.”<\/p>\n
Among his stories was a poem dedicated to Yarramlok, also known as the Yarrowee River.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got a legacy from our ancestors that tells us the importance of continuing to care for the land,” he said.<\/p>\n
“It provides us with everything we’ve ever needed, and we should look after it in return.”<\/p>\n
Moorabool Shire ran a raft of NAIDOC Week events from 7 to 14 July.<\/p>\n
The annual week of celebration pays tribute to the culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.<\/p>\n
It has its roots in the 1938 Day of Mourning, before becoming a week-long event in 1975.<\/p>\n
Locally, residents learned how to make gumnut wreathes, listened to special story times and took part in a smoking ceremony.<\/p>\n
The 2024 NAIDOC Week theme of Keep the fire burning: Blak, loud and proud paid tribute to the ongoing strength of Indigenous Australians.<\/p>\n
“The resilience of mob, our shared experiences, collective memories and kinship is a source of tremendous pride,” National NAIDOC committee co-chair Aunty Lynette Riley said.<\/p>\n
“This year’s theme is a clarion call to continued unity and solidarity for all Australians to come together and celebrate.”<\/p>\n
Gilson said it was essential to celebrate shared histories.<\/p>\n
“It’s important for us to come together to respect what is, and what came before,” he said.<\/p>\n
“NAIDOC Week is also a way for First Nations people to showcase our skills, talents and abilities.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WADAWURRUNG Traditional Owner Barry Gilson loaned his talents to NAIDOC Week events across Moorabool last week. The Gordon resident wowed crowds with local stories, historical anecdotes and poetry at a special storytelling session. Gilson, also a singer and award-winning poet, said he wanted to share the history of the local land and waterways. “I wanted […]<\/p>\n