CATEGORY

Indigenous

Macorna indigenous round

In just a few short years, a small, simple event, designed to celebrate the powerful role sport can have in the lives of indigenous people – and to educate the non-indigenous about Barapa Barapa culture – has blossomed into something much, much more. Last weekend, the Golden Rivers Football Netball League celebrated indigenous round, which has its roots at the small, pioneering club of Macorna.

Major Moogy recognised for outstanding service

Sheryl Lowe. Proud Ngarrindjeri and Kauma man, Major (‘Moogy’) Sumner, from South Australia’s Coorong region, received the Premier’s NAIDOC Award 2021 last week for outstanding achievements and significant service to the indigenous community of South Australia ... “He is a world-renowned performer and cultural ambassador of Ngarrindjeri arts, crafts, martial arts, traditional dance, song and traditional culture. He has travelled the world learning from other nations and sharing his knowledge and experiences.”

Land handed back to traditional owners

Lismore City Councillors last night voted to return 37 hectares of Council-owned land on the North Lismore Plateau to its traditional owners, the Widjabul Wiabal people.

Cultural burning in southern Australia: collaborations based on Indigenous leadership

Cultural burning doesn't just occur in northern Australia. Across southern Australia, many Indigenous people are practicing and promoting cultural fire management, yet the emergency management sector has limited experience in collaborating with them on fire management.

Tree represents hope and coming together

A native apple tree was the symbol for reconciliation on the banks of the Richmond River in Casino last Thursday. Richmond Valley mayor Robert Mustow and Aunty Leila Walker planted the tree together ... Aunty Leila said Casino was the traditional meeting place of the Bundjalung Nation. “North of the town is the largest bora ring on the East Coast,” she said.

Spaceport fires up

A spaceport on the outskirts of Weipa is still a major possibility as an Australian-based company eyes the Cape York location. Discussions have already begun between the Palm Branch Group’s Spaze Oz arm and key stakeholders in Weipa and Napranum. The site would be located near the RAAF Scherger base, about 43km from Weipa.

Patty humbled to be a flag-bearer

Olympics veteran Patty Mills says he understands the privileged position he is in to be one of the two flag-bearers for the Australian team at Tokyo. “As a proud Kokatha, Naghiralgal and Dauareb-Meriam man it’s incredible. A very passionate moment I can feel in my bones,” Mills said after the announcement that he and Cate Campbell will lead the Aussie team at the opening ceremony.

Manna Gums Frontier Wars Memorial Avenue – first of its kind in Australia

The Manna Gums on the Malmsbury-Daylesford Road in Daylesford is the site for an Aboriginal Peoples Memorial Avenue, opened at the conclusion of NAIDOC Week. Mayor, Cr Lesley Hewitt, said the memorial is an opportunity to honour the loss of lives, the sacrifice and suffering inflicted on Aboriginal people during the frontier wars.

A film of hope and inspiration for Boodja

Nature Conservation Margaret River and Undalup Association will screen the inspirational conservation film Breathing Life into Boodja at the Margaret River HEART on Tuesday 13 July.

Landscape SA defends basket weaving

Chris Oldfield. Basket weaving and learning about Aboriginal culture are “the right thing to do” for Landscape SA Limestone Coast board members and staff, according to chair Penny Schulz. And a creekbed used by Landscape SA board members, staff and an Aboriginal focus group for a training day was a revegetated “centrepiece” of the day.

Investigation into the former principal of Milingimbi School

The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption NT, Ken Fleming QC, has made findings of corrupt conduct against a former principal of Milingimbi School in Central Arnhem Land and has made a series of recommendations relating to oversight and governance of remote schools. The ICAC report found that Ms Jennifer Lea Sherrington benefited from her position as principal of Milingimbi School by misapplying Department of Education and Milingimbi School Council funds, misusing debit cards and exploiting the lack of guidelines and department oversight for the Principal’s Initiative cost code.

Loop road to provide new four-wheel drive track

A four-wheel drive track that connects Weipa with the Bamaga Road will be a smash hit with both locals and tourists in search of a new off-road experience. The controversial Bertiehaugh Road has only existed as a line on the map since the Irwins took over the property in 2006, renaming it Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve ... a team of determined locals, who asked not to be named, got the GPS coordinates from Cook Shire and went to work themselves. Using buggies and four-wheel drives, they created a 60km single-lane track that runs from Stones Crossing to Bramwell Junction.

Lockhart River claim prestigious shield

The threat of COVID deterred a number of dance groups from attending, but that didn’t stop a sell-out crowd from enjoying the show at the Laura Quinkan Dance Festival. Around 2000 people filled the grounds around the traditional Bora ground and watched as groups from across the Cape and Far North shared their culture with a crowd filled with mostly southerners.

Tourism set to return to Lismore and its Villages

Lismore City Council and Rous County Council today signed a three-year lease for Rous to rent the Lismore Visitor Information Centre on Molesworth Street. Lismore City Council’s Director of Partnerships, Planning and Engagement Eber Butron said Lismore Council will work with Rous in delivering tourist information, and environmental and cultural services.

Designed to tell a story

Emma Pritchard. Featuring a colourful and symbolic representation of Maclean and its place on Yaegl land, and the importance of connection to country and culture, Frances Belle Parker’s stunning design printed on the Maclean Public School uniforms also incorporates the powerful message of Angwirri, her artwork which featured prominently on the Sydney Opera House.

Kidney unit snubs the Cape

A political decision to build a kidney transplant unit at Townsville instead of Cairns has riled medical experts in the Far North. The state government held bids from both Cairns and Townsville hospitals for the new renal transplant unit, but opted for the more southern hospital, despite evidence suggesting more patients would benefit if it was in Cairns.

Wigness to lead Australia

Torres Strait basketball prodigy Tamuri Wigness has been named as the captain of the Australian Emus team ahead of the upcoming FIBA U19 World Cup.

Revised Remote Engagement and Coordination Strategy launched

Local Government Minister Chansey Paech and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Selena Uibo were in town this week to launch the revised edition of the Remote Engagement and Coordination Strategy (RECS). The RECS is part of a suite of tools designed to improve all aspects of regional and remote engagement, travel, and coordination of community visits ... Work on the RECS second edition was led by a group of NT Government agencies and the Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory.

New commissioner: C’Zarke Maza appointed to government role

Torres Strait lawyer C’Zarke Maza has been appointed as the state’s inaugural commissioner for Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa. “The Torres Strait culture to this day continues to be alive and strong and I am committed to fulfilling the task towards the legal recognition of our traditional child rearing practice,” Mr Maza said.

Exhibition launches with a bang

The highly anticipated 150ZK Truth Telling: Coming of the Light 150 Years (150ZK) exhibition was officially opened with great fanfare at the Gab Titui Cultural Centre on Thursday night. Commemorating 150 years since Coming of the Light, the exhibition is the result of a successful collaborative curatorial project with Torres Strait Artists, Badu Arts, Erub Arts and Moa Arts. It investigates the impact of the London Missionary Society and Christianity on Torres Strait Islanders and the region’s way of life.

New film studio for Coffs Coast part of potential regional job precinct

The NSW Government will pursue establishing a Regional Job Precinct in line with the announcement of a brand new film studio at Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour, the NSW Deputy Premier, the NSW Treasurer and the Member for Coffs Harbour announced today ... “The proposal, which also includes a boutique hotel, a state-of-the-art film school, an indigenous art gallery and an Olympic and film memorabilia museum, would provide an exciting new industry for the region,” said Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

History is only the beginning for Cooktown & Cape York Expo!

Attracting government officials, international dignitaries, visitors and community members from across Cape York and Australia, the Cooktown & Cape York Expo 2021 came to a spectacular close last night with the final performance of the Warrma and a fireworks display over the Endeavour River. The largest event in rural Queensland since the COVID-19 lockdowns, The Cooktown & Cape York Expo 2021 – which ran from 11-20 June – delivered more than 150 events, exhibitions, performances, installations, workshops, and a two-day Dynamic Business Symposium.

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