STUDENTS:

Warami my name is Freddie and this is Calais and Aubree. We are proudly standing on Darug Land welcome to our school, St Clair Public School.

BEN SAUNDERS:

Good morning and welcome to New South Wales Department of Education’s NAIDOC Week celebrations 2021. My name is Ben Saunders and I am a proud Kamilaroi man currently in Year 11 at Toronto High School, New South Wales’ central coast. I will be your emcee for this year.

The theme for NAIDOC Week this year is Heal Country! Over the next week join us as we showcase Aboriginal history, culture and achievements across New South Wales public schools.

Heal Country! has inspired us to explore and restore connections to the land, water and sky, and most crucially connections with one another. I would now like to welcome Ms Karen Jones, Executive Director, Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate, to officially kick off day one of our 2021 NAIDOC Week celebrations.

KAREN JONES:

Good morning and welcome everyone to the NSW Department of Education’s NAIDOC Week celebrations for 2021. My name is Karen Jones, it’s my privilege to be the Executive Director for the Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate here at the Department.

I would like to acknowledge that I join you from the Land of the Darug, pay my respects to their Elders past and present, and recognising their ongoing care of Country and community. I’d also like to extend my respects to the various nations of the lands from which you join us today and I also pay tribute and acknowledge their Elders past and present.

The theme for NAIDOC Week this year is Heal Country!

And, reflecting on what has been a challenging year, from bushfires, to floods and of course the global pandemic, this year’s NAIDOC theme allows us to reflect on the world around us and reset how we can work together to heal our homes, our Country, now and into the future.

Country is more than just a place, it is inherent to who we are. And NAIDOC Week provides us with the chance to showcase Aboriginal histories, cultures and talents, but it also provides us as Aboriginal people a national platform to be heard.

This year’s theme provides us with the opportunity to teach people about the importance of Country, protecting and caring for that Country as we care for it for generations to come. As a proud Anaiwan woman, I have always felt a strong connection to the land, it is part of who I am. And as a proud primary school teacher, I have always felt the need to teach and inspire others.

I am also taking this as a personal challenge to learn and share knowledge about the land I live on today and I challenge you to do the same thing for life is about learning and history is about the opportunity to learn from the past for the benefit of our future.

The Department’s renewed partnership agreement with the NSW AECG and its’ commitment to the Connected Communities Strategy drives the work that we do to build reforms that better the livelihoods of our Aboriginal students, their families and our communities.

Working together with our parents and our carers, our friends, our communities, our colleagues, our partners and our connections is crucial to future educational success for Aboriginal students, as well as to Heal Country!

Please enjoy today’s live steam video, we do this in partnership with Landcare Australia and today you will see public schools across NSW celebrating and healing their country through the planting of new seedlings. I strongly encourage you to get out and about and see what native trees, plants and flowers are near you!

Darug Country

Marayong South Public School:

Warami or welcome from Marayong South Public School on Darug Country.

This plant is known as dodonaea viscosa or hotbush. It is native to Australia.

We’re gonna celebrate NAIDOC Week by planting the seedling to celebrate 2021.

James Erskine Public School:

Warami from James Erskine Public School, we acknowledge the land that we meet today, Darug land.

Aboriginal people have used trees for thousands of years for food and healing. The flowers that bloom on trees and plants represent the many spirits of old people and remind us to care for the environment. There is a connection between earth and nature and the Aboriginal people. It makes us who we are.

The Indigenous people of Australia have always had a strong connection to the Country, so it is fitting that we are planting seedlings today to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

St Clair Public School:

Warami from St Clair Public School on Darug Country. This is a winter apple tree. We are going to plant trees for NAIDOC Week 2021.

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2021 is Heal Country! I think heal Country means we’re replanting all the plants that have been hurt by bushfires or destruction from houses or other things being built.

Heal Country! NAIDOC Week!

Wyndham College:

Giinagay, I’m Stacey and I’m a proud Aboriginal woman. My family are from the Gumbaynggirr Country which is now called Nambucca Heads. Welcome to Wyndham College. This land originates on Darug Country.

Healing of Country to me is just a time period where we just wait, and we let everything heal and we love and forgive everyone and everything that’s happened.

Heal Country to me means a quality and respect for our culture and our values as other Australians do for theirs.

Glenwood High School:

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Darug people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and all First Nation people here today. Welcome from wherever you’ve travelled from, and my name is Luke and on behalf of my ancestors and Elders I welcome you to Darug land.

Healing Country is coming together as a community to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Healing Country is taking care of our Country and rebuilding what was lost.

When our Country gets cared for, we can heal as one.

Dawson Public School:

Welcome from Dawson Public School on Darug Country. This plant is an acacia otherwise known as a wattungulle. Now we are going to plant a seedling to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Hebersham Public School:

Warami from Hebersham Public School. I would like to acknowledge the Darug people who are the traditional custodians of the land my school is built. I would also like to acknowledge my Elders past and present as they share stories and memories of our rich culture. This keeps our culture alive for the next generation who are becoming our leaders for the future.

We must always remember that the land we walk on and the waterways that sustains us and cleans us is, was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.

This year the NAIDOC theme is Heal Country! At Hebersham we believe that this means to acknowledge our land and its surroundings. Our nearby rivers are the Nepean and the Hawkesbury rivers. The animals such as the possum is our totem and the plants just like the lilly pilly that ripens in the Darug season of Marrai'gang.

Today as a part of our NAIDOC celebration this year our school will be planting some native plants.

Tregear Public School:

Warami I am Taya from Tregear Public School, we are on this Darug land in western Sydney. I would like to acknowledge the Darug people of this land.

Heal Country means to me making Australia better by regrowing plants and keeping the water free from pollution.

We are now going to plant seedlings to celebrate NAIDOC 2021. Today we are planting black apple trees and lilly pilly bushes. The sweet fruit produced by these bush tucker plants are good to eat straight from the tree.

Minchinbury Public School:

Welcome to Minchinbury Public School on the Country of the Darug peoples of the Darug nation. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land which we meet on today, the Darug people.

Today we are planting native seedlings to celebrate NAIDOC Week of 2021. I am planting the rough barked apple tree. It is a special tree for Country. Done!

This is the hotbush. We use it to treat tooth aches, cuts and stingray stings.

Healing Country is about resolving outstanding injustices which continue to impact our day to day lives. It also means accepting our culture and knowledge.

When we protect Country, Country protects us.

We worry about our Country, it needs to heal. It is up to all of us to help heal our Country.

Wiradjuri Country

Glenroy Public School:

Gawaymbanha. Welcome to Glenroy Public School here on Wiradjuri Country. I would like to acknowledge both Elders past, present and emerging and non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people here today.

We are excited here today to be doing our new garden.

Murray High School:

Hi I’m Ciara and I’m from the Gunditjmara nation. And I’m Kate, a Wiradjuri woman and we are on Wiradjuri Country at Murray High School to talk NAIDOC.

This year’s theme is Heal Country! To me, heal Country is keeping our sacred sites and cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration and destruction. Heal Country to me is sustaining our spiritual connection to this land in ways such as physical, emotionally and culturally. NAIDOC 2021 invites the nation to embrace our First Nations cultural knowledge. As a part of this heritage, we want to equally respect both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

And to me healing Country is all about delving into environmental awareness. Our relation to the land has always been treasured yet the culture towards it is diminishing. NAIDOC Week is a chance for all of us to look towards the traditions and not exploit it but instead, embrace it. It has been difficult the past few years, but I appreciate that for at least one week we involve ourselves in Australian heritage because the healing is in our hands.

At Murray High School we are planting a bunch of natives that were given to us by Landcare. We’ve got some black wood, she-oak, saltbush, winter apple, hillside sedge, black-anther flax-lily and spiny headed mat rush. Apparently, the leaves can be used for making baskets, nets, traps and the timber used for fashioning boomerangs, clubs and shields, and they also provide more about these plants by connecting with the members of the local community and learning about the Wiradjuri Country.

We’ll also be playing sports, creating artworks and eating lots of great food to celebrate everything we love about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

Happy NAIDOC!

Bathurst West Public School:

Bathurst West Public School celebrates NAIDOC Week by respecting ngaramburg and showing yindyamarra.

Ngaramburg teach us about family, lore and ceremony. It looks after us physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Denison College of Secondary Education, Bathurst High Campus:

My name is Jaydon Crawford and I’m from Bathurst High Campus and I’m coming to you from Wiradjuri Country. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, the Wiradjuri people of the Wiradjuri nation on the land that we meet on today.

Now we are going to plant a seedling to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Hey we’re from Bathurst High School on Wiradjuri Country.

What heal Country means to me that we gotta respect Mother Earth because Mother Earth looks after us.

Heal Country to me means looking after the land and the people on it.

Kelso Public School :

Yiradhu marang which means g’day, gawaymbanha which means welcome, my name is Shyisha from Kelso Public School.

Yiradhu marang, g’day, my name is Cameron and I am here today to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land and whose land we are gathered on here today, the Wiradjuri people, the people of the three rivers, the Wambool, Macquarie, Kalari, Lachlan and the Murrumbidjeri Murrumbidgee. I would like to pay respect to all of the Elders of the Wiradjuri nation of the past, present and extend that to all who are gathered here today.

Now we are going to plant a seedling to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Squeeze the sides kids, upside down, give her a tap. Sometimes the roots get stuck, but you can’t pull the tree. There we are. Comes out. Be very careful with it. Now when you put the dirt in make sure you break it up and what you don’t want to do is make it higher than where it sat in in the pot. Does that make sense? Break the dirt, push it in, nice and firm. There we are, and give it a nice drink.

Hello my name is Jakayla from Kelso Public School, I am on Wiradjuri Country. Heal Country means to me healing our nation together. Please protect and look after our land, water and sacred sites and our cultural heritage. Heal Country, heal our Nation.

Kooringal High School:

We respect our ancestors on whose land we plant these seedlings today to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Heal our Country means understanding how we are visitors of this land. It means nurturing people of all walks of life and remind them to move slowly, with respect.

Red Hill Public School:

Gawaymbanha.

We are from Red Hill Public School. On Wiradjuri land. Heal Country means protecting our land, water and sacred sites. Murrumbidjeri, our river, is a special place for us.

Hi we are from Red Hill on Wiradjuri Country. This plant is called the Wurundjeri. This plant is also known as the silver banksia or honey suckle. The branches of this bush are used as ceremonial and hunting boomerangs. The nectar from this plant can be used as a drink and the flower can be used as a painting brush.

We are planting seedlings to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Kapooka Public School:

Yiradhu marang from Kapooka Public School on Wiradjuri land. We acknowledge the Wiradjuri people on whose land we are meeting here today. We would like to pay our respects to all Elders past, present and future. We recognise their connection to Country and their role in caring for Country. May their strength and wisdom be here with us today. Yindyamarra, ngumbadal.

We will now plant a seedling to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Gumbaynggirr Country

Kororo Public School:

Giinagay from Kororo Public School. Today we are on Gumbaynggirr land. We acknowledge the owners of the land that we’re meeting today, the Gumbaynggirr people of the Gumbaynggirr nation.

What heal Country means to me is, it’s like a three-legged stool. One is the people, one is the language and one is the land. You have to have all three of those to make it standing so you have to protect the land and everything in it. So we wanna keep the nation standing.

Heal Country to me, as an Aboriginal person, means take what you need not what you want.

Now we are going to plant a seedling to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Lilly pilly’s have berries when they start growing a lot, they’re a nice pink berry that you could eat. They are more sour in the afternoon and sweet in the mornings. You could find them in the Gumbaynggirr nation around the beaches, near the ocean and the Aboriginal name for it is called gaagal.

Yaarri yarrang! Goodbye from the Gumbaynggirr nation.

Sawtell Public School:

Giinagay from Sawtell Public School on Gumbaynggirr Country. We acknowledge the owners of the land which we meet today, the Gumbaynggirr people of the Gumbaynggirr nation. Now we are going to plant the seedling to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

Giinagay from Sawtell Public School on Gumbaynggirr Country. Heal Country is about coming together to achieve protection for the land and waterways, it recognises our ability to look after the country for cultural needs. Heal Country is about embracing First Nations peoples cultural knowledge and understanding.

Giinagay from Sawtell Public School on Gumbaynggirr Country. This plant is a clumping herb also known as wild ginger. Now we are going to plant this herb to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2021.

William Bayldon Public School:

William Bayldon Public School on Gumbaynggirr Country. We acknowledge the owners of the land on which we meet today, the people of Gumbaynggir nation.

This is a pigface. You can eat the delicious fruit and flower and you can use the leaf juice for bites, burns and stings.

This is kangaroo grass which Aboriginal people used to use to make nets for fishing.

What does Heal Country mean?

It means to protect the environment. It also means that we save our Aboriginal culture. Learn and teach everyone about our traditional ways.

KAREN JONES:

Thank you all for joining us today and watching that inspiring video. Tomorrow please join us as we live stream the event from our Parramatta office at 105 Phillip Street. On Darug Country we will be celebrating NAIDOC Week 2021, Heal Country!

Tomorrow we will witness a smoking ceremony, outside the building at 105 Phillip Street and a surprise musical guest. Bye for now and see you tomorrow.

End of transcript.

WOMAN:
(SPEAKS AN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE) Hello and welcome to Parramatta, where the saltwater meets the fresh water. We gather on Country today. The land of my ancestors. I pay my respects to elders, past, present and future and special guests here today. My name is Peta Strachan, mother, grandmother and artistic director of Jannawi Dance Clan. From the land of the Red Kangaroo, from the Burramattagal clan of the Darug Nation, wishing you all a safe passage and stay on Darug Country, the resting place of the eel. (SPEAKS AN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE) I would like to invite you all to be part of a smoking ceremony. Smoking ceremonies are very spiritual and very special. So, when you come through the smoke, it's an opportunity for you to let go of any of your worries, to have a cleansing, to have a healing, and to just let everything go into the smoke. I'll put the leaves on and then I'm going to sing a song for you about calling in the good spirit and calling in the good dreaming. So when you walk through the smoke, just pull the smoke up over your head, swish it around your body and to your feet as you go along.

(SINGS INDIGENOUS MUSIC)

COLLEEN MITCHELL:
Warami Mittigar. Welcome, friends. Good afternoon and welcome to today's event taking place on the lands of the Burramattagal people of the Darug nation. My name is Colleen Mitchell, and I have the privilege of working for Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate. A welcome to Country is an age-old practice. Traditionally, if mobs had to cross into neighbouring lands, they would seek permission from the traditional owners. A ceremony would follow to grant the visitors safe passage to explain the law of the land and to cleanse any bad spirits which may have travelled with them. We've had the privilege a little while earlier to cleanse ourselves through the smoke. It is therefore a great honour to welcome you here today for this special event, and to wish you safe passage as you travel through beautiful Darug country. In offering today's welcome, I pay respects to my ancestors, the elders of yesterday, who cared for and protected our land. I thank my elders of today who contribute to, who continue to share the traditions of my people, ensuring our culture is never lost.

I welcome all Aboriginal people joining us today, as well as acknowledging the various lands that many people are joining from online. I pay respect to your elders because they have led you to the place you are in your Aboriginal journey. It is the footsteps of our elders that we so proudly follow each and every day. I acknowledge our students, our emerging elders, our future leaders, because they are the reason we are here. Lastly, I acknowledge and thank my non-Aboriginal colleagues for the work you do, for walking with us and working with us to ensure our true history is shared. We meet here in Parramatta. Burramattagal is thought to be derived from the Aboriginal word for a place where the eels lie down, where they would come to breed in the Parramatta River just across from us. Our connection to this land is long and deep. By the time Europeans met the Burramattagal clan, Darug people had already been living on and caring for this land for more than 60,000 years. Parramatta has a strong connection to the widespread social disruption of the Darug people.

The establishment of the Parramatta Native Institution was the first formal step which aimed to affect the civilization of the Darug people. Darug people, like all Aboriginal people, are resilient. And so, for some, this became an opportunity to achieve and to excel. We are proud, we are strong, and we are here, still deeply connected to our country. This year's theme for NAIDOC Heal Country, for Aboriginal people it is not simply about the land and waterways. Our connection to country means that as we work to heal the physical land, we are also working towards healing our people. This theme sits closely with the recent National Reconciliation Week theme. More than a word, reconciliation takes action, which called upon all Australians to deliver an action towards reconciliation. Both of these themes follow in the footsteps of our partnership agreement. Walking together, working together. It is the action of genuinely working in partnership to acknowledge the past, the truth which will truly heal country.

As we enjoy today's festivities, I ask you to consider how you can deepen your understanding of Aboriginal histories and culture. Is there an opportunity for you to strengthen your relationships with Aboriginal colleagues, your students, families or communities? Can you learn more about the land on which you live or work? Can you connect with some of the local language and its use in everyday life? How will we walk together and work together to heal country? Welcome to today's event on beautiful Darug Country. (SPEAKS INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE). Thank you. (APPLAUSE)

KAREN JONES:
Good afternoon and welcome to the official launch of the New South Wales Department of Education's NAIDOC Week celebrations for 2021 here on the lands of the Burramattagal people of the Darug nation. The centre of our universe here in our public education system are our students strongly supported by a talented staff. It's my absolute pleasure to welcome the Inner West performing arts schools to perform (SPEAKS INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE).

INNER WEST SCHOOL:
(SINGS INDIGENOUS MUSIC) (APPLAUSE)

KAREN JONES:
Thank you to each and every one of you for an extraordinary performance. It's quite amazing the talent we have in our public school family from our students who just demonstrated there to our talented staff that support them and nurture them each and every day, because raw talent is not enough. The support of our staff is invaluable. And I just want to say congratulations to the students and the staff again. My name is Karen Jones and I'm a proud Anaiwan woman standing before you today. I'm a primary school teacher and I'm in my 40th year of this public education family, excluding the 13 years that I enjoyed as a student. So, count that up. And yes, there's a lot of years in there. I'm currently in the privileged position as being executive director for Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnership Directorate here in the Education and Skills Reform Division of our department. I too would like to acknowledge the Burramattagal people for their ongoing care and nurturing of country, pay respects to their elders past and present, but also take the time to acknowledge.

We talk about the emerging elders. But the students in our school as you meet today, performing, emceeing, are just extraordinary leaders of today in our public schools. It's not just our staff that are our leaders, it's also our students. And I was waiting down there for the smoking ceremony when I met Ben from Toronto High, already a leader. A leader from an extraordinary family who's here today. He's joined by his brother and his mother. His older brother didn't come because he's at uni. Already high aspirations for a family that's delivering a difference both in the lives of individual students. And I wouldn't say too much, but I'll mention Mr McConville from Toronto High because he always likes to be mentioned. So, we had that conversation. NAIDOC Week is a time for us to come together to reflect and celebrate the history, culture and the achievements of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders across Australia. I stand before you as a proud Anaiwan woman, as I mentioned, incredibly proud of those that have gone before me, my family on who's shoulders I stand, that believed in the opportunity of public education, who believe that public education could deliver a difference.

And it has indeed allowed me to live a life far greater than anything I'd hoped or dreamed about as a young student. For that's the difference we deliver in public education. Lots of other professions talk about what the world might look like, some predicted. Each and every day, through the work in our offices and our interactions with schools, we change the course of the future. We influence our students. And it is an extraordinary privileged position, but it's also extraordinarily challenging. It is hard work. Our teachers and our leaders work tirelessly to deliver the difference that our community so richly deserves, and it's delivered strongly through our public education family. I was fortunate that I participated in a public education system that believed in opportunities for all. And certainly, it was not until high school the clean clad and courteous policy of the day was changed. Until I started high school, I could have been excluded at the whim or the wish of another parent.

For no reason, to be honest, my mother told me at school to keep my head down and my mouth shut and I was not a student that did that well. My brother, on the other hand, looks very similar to me, much darker skinned, he was much more compliant and yet he was the one that got in trouble. I always tell my mother that, she tells me it's not true. But the truth is this, our kids have quiet hopes and aspirations. They are leaders already. They are living their lives already. It's our job through our public education family to enrich their lives. To not only allow them to achieve their quiet hopes and aspirations, but indeed to broaden their dreams, to broaden their hopes, to raise their expectations. Today, we celebrate NAIDOC Week with student performances, speeches from special guests, and we will witness two deadly musical performances by Ziggy. He will be an absolute privilege for you to listen to. I've seen him out there. And what was exciting was not just his performance, not just the words of the songs that he sings, but also his ability to engage with our youth.

His conversations with our kids reminded me that we nurture our young people wherever we are and take those opportunities wherever they may occur. I'm also today joined by Ben Saunders from Toronto High School. He'll be emceeing this event. He's a proud Gamilaraay man. I better not get in trouble with that, Mom. And we were very excited to have him, his mother and his brother here today. I'd like to thank Colleen for her welcome. It is always a privilege, Colleen, to listen to you. You inspire me on a daily basis. And that's possible because I'm lucky enough to have her working with us in our Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate. We do know this; public education delivers a difference. Delivers a difference one student at a time. We will see many of those students here today. We will see some of us that are past students. We need to recognize that our work continues. We need to recognize that we have much to celebrate. But we are continued to be challenged by the difference in many aspects, the achievements of Aboriginal students and our Aboriginal communities.

We are seeking to address that not only through our public education system, but also through our work across government, through closing the gap. I'd like to introduce Ben. The very purpose he reminds us of all that is great about our public education system. A talented young man that each and every teacher must be privileged and recognized that moment each and every day. Thank you, Ben. (APPLAUSE)

BEN SAUNDERS:
Thank you. I'd like to thank Miss Mitchell for your beautiful welcome to Country. I would also like to pay my respects to Country, and extend my acknowledgement to elders past and present and all Aboriginal people joining us today. My name is Ben Saunders. I'm a proud Gamilaraay man currently in year 11 at Toronto High School. I'll be assisting as M.C. today and here on the lands of the Darug people. Today, we'll have a number of speakers and performances to celebrate NAIDOC Week for 2021. After a challenging 2020, filled with at home learning and dreaming, it's so nice to celebrate occasions such as this in person. I would now like to welcome the students from two Inner West performing schools to perform Raining On the Rock. Please join us in giving us a friendly welcome. (APPLAUSE)

INNER WEST SCHOOL:
# Pastel red to burgundy and spinifex to gold. We've just come out of the mulga where the plains forever roll. Albert Namatjira has painted all the seas. And the shower has changed the lustre of our land. # # And it's raining on the rock, in a beautiful Country. And I'm proud to travel this big land, as an Aborigine. It's raining on the rock, what an almighty sight to see. And I'm wishing and dreaming, that you here with me. # # Everlasting daisies and a beautiful desert rose. Where does their beauty come from, heaven knows. I could ask the wedgetail, but he's way too high. I wonder if he understands, it's wonderful to fly. # # And it's raining on the rock, in beautiful Country. And I'm proud to travel this big land, as an Aborigine. It's raining all the rock, what an almighty sight to see. And I'm wishing and I'm dreaming, that you here with me. # # It cannot be described with a picture. The mesmerizing colours of the Olgas. Or the grandeur of the rock. Uluru has power. # # And it's raining all the rock, in a beautiful Country.

And I'm proud to travel this big land, as an Aborigine. It's raining on the rock, what an almighty sight to see. And I'm wishing and I'm dreaming, that you were here with me. And I'm wishing and I'm dreaming, that you here with me. # (APPLAUSE)

KAREN JONES:
That's the trouble being part of this public education family, you often have to follow students who always steal the show. Fantastic. Thank you. And I've had the privilege today to follow two of them, our amazing talented singers and Ben. Thank you, Ben, for the introduction of that. It's also my privilege now to welcome George Harrisson, recently appointed as the Secretary of our public education system. The joy of working with George has been her preparedness to listen to the issues that have been emerging for Aboriginal education. To say to us, we will work to address them. She has demonstrated in her early days that that is not a matter of words, it's a commitment that she's going to put in action. We continue to be challenged and we're excited to be supported by all of you here today. And we look forward to the with wise words coming from George. Thanks, George. (APPLAUSE)

GEORGINA HARRISSON:
Thanks, Karen. and thank you all for joining us in an appropriately socially distanced way today as we continue to modify arrangements to meet the challenge that COVID continues to present. Can I thank Karen, can I thank Colleen and can I thank Ben and our performers so far today. As you say, to follow those people is the most daunting part, actually, of stepping up here today. I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are all gathered today. Every time I have heard an acknowledgement and a welcome of country from Colleen, I am struck by the passion that sits in this country and that is here for us to seize upon every day. And so, I pay my respects to elders past, present and emerging, and extend those respects to our incredible Aboriginal colleagues who are here with us today. And I just want to acknowledge that every day for a number of those people who come to work and they come to work here, they come to work in a system that when they were at school themselves did not always welcome them.

They come to work every day in a system where we had policies in place that excluded them at times from the education they and their families were so keen to seek and have access to so that they could sit here with us today and so that we could then learn from them. So, I acknowledge every single one of you here today online and through our system who come and work with us to help make us better and to help us deliver better outcomes for our Aboriginal students. And I acknowledge that this has not always been a system where that was possible. And I hope it will be a system that overcomes those existing, those ongoing challenges for our students today. I would like to thank all our partners who joined here today. I was struck watching the ensemble just now of the communication between the guy on the guitar and the young man on the bass, keeping that rhythm, keeping that song moving. It is only by working together with our partners, as those young people demonstrated to us today, that we will make the progress we need to see for Aboriginal students.

So, I thank Henry for joining us from the Teachers Federation. Robyn, it's great to see you here from the PPA. And I just really hope that we can continue that partnership in the best interests of our students. There are issues that transcend our differences as stakeholders and players and actors in the public education system. This is one, and it's one where we will always work together no matter what. So, thank you all for demonstrating that and joining us today. As many of you would know, NAIDOC originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Observance Committee, that doesn't sit comfortably to say out loud and nor did it sit comfortably as I was looking through the notes for today. This committee was once responsible for organizing national activities during NAIDOC Week, and its acronym has now become the week itself. It is now and is an opportunity for us to celebrate the history and cultures that the Aboriginal community brings to society overall.

And I am delighted every time we come together to have the opportunity to learn more. And just last week we were, all of the executives were out in schools in South West Sydney, and there was a young man at St John's Park High School who stood up and did an acknowledgement to Country. And he shared with us that he was only able to provide an acknowledgment and not a welcome because he was not yet an elder. And just in every interaction, those small opportunities to learn that exist everywhere. And for him to overcome the challenges of that audience, which we were pretty daunting for him first thing on a Friday morning, was an incredible achievement for him. And so I just acknowledge that in every opportunity interaction we have, there's the opportunity to learn. As I was thinking about today and I picked this scarf that was given to me by Tammy Anderson, another proud Aboriginal strong woman in our system who's the principal at Briar Road Public School. And I picked it up because I wanted to share what I saw in action at Briar Road Public School in relation to the theme today, Heal for Country.

Tammy and her team work every single day to embed Aboriginal cultures and perspectives into their teaching and learning. They work every single day to make sure that their school is an open and engaging place for the whole of the community to come in. And they really recognise some of the challenges some of their students face with the high number of students in out-of-home care, a high number of students from various backgrounds. For all of those students, no matter their cultural background, they get a deep education that is relevant to them, but is relevant to all of us in learning about the history and the future for Aboriginal communities in New South Wales. This scarf is designed by a local artist to their school from country of country and is provided and was gifted to the school. And is used throughout the school as just one part of how they acknowledge the area they are in and that they operate in and that they try and pay back to that community every day. And I pay the deepest respect to Tammy and her team for the work they are doing.

And I think it is the type of work we need to be seeking to learn from and spread around the system. And we need to be spreading those lessons around the system. Because if there is one thing in this nation that is going to contribute to healing Country, it is education. We hold the key. You know, it's that kind of special magic. Everyone's looking for the reason. Every other agency in government looks to education to solve their problems, is that we have a better opportunity than anybody because we start first. We engage with young people from the minute they step into an early education centre, we stay with those young people through their education and then into their lifelong learning. So, if there is any place where as an agency, we can touch and change the lives of people that is here in education. And so, we have the future leaders here. We're seeing them today. They do a better job than we do at standing up and speaking in front of audience. More often I'm just amazed by your confidence and ability to do that.

Congratulations. And they are a small example of what our students are achieving every day. But there aren't enough of our Aboriginal students who are fulfilling their potential. And so as we listen and we hear this today, we are part of that healing journey. We need to stay connected with that healing journey, and we need to make sure we never lower the aspirations for our students on their behalf. And where that happens, we need to be taking action to make sure it doesn't happen in the future. And so we will carry on working with the community. I want to thank the AECG for their partnership to walk together with us through this journey, to educate us, to lead us to a better place. Their advocacy is strong and necessary for us to continue that journey. And I thank Cathy Trindall, the new president for her ongoing challenge and accountability. I take that responsibility really seriously, and I aim to be held accountable by the community for the work we do and the actions we take. And in the end, we will be judged on the results and on the feedback we get from young students like Ben, who experience our system and experience a different system to the one their parents may have experienced.

So, we hope we do better for you, Ben, and we hope we do better for all of your colleagues and community. And with that, I will hand back to Karen. Thank you very much. Back to Ben. Ben, you're up again. So now, if you could adjust those filters that you didn't put in the first bit, you put those in now to make me look just a little bit better. OK?

BEN SAUNDERS:
I'd like to thank Miss Harrisson for that inspiring words. It's so important that we support each other in attempt to heal Country. I'll now have the pleasure to introduce a special musical guest for NAIDOC Week 2021, Ziggy Ramo. Ziggy is a proud singer, songwriter and activist. Ziggy's latest album, Black Thoughts, addresses colonial dispossession, systemic racism and intergenerational trauma. Today, Ziggy will perform Little Things, a rework of a Paul Kelly classic. Please join me in giving Ziggy a warm welcome. (APPLAUSE)

ZIGGY RAMO:
Hello. A bit of technical things happening. Plugging things in and making a microphone tall enough for me. Thank you so much for having me. It's such a pleasure to be here. Yeah, I'm going to be performing. We kind of impromptu met. We were all walking in, and I thought it would be a really beautiful thing to be able to come together. You know, like, I think NAIDOC Week especially is about an understanding of who we are, where we're from and how we can come together within, I think, celebrating the history of our Country and beyond 250 years. And, you know, I think a lot of the times we hear acknowledgements to Country that sometimes can feel like a little bit of like protocols and ticking a box so that it's done and then we can move on and get to the why we're all here and but we've done it, so that's a good thing. But for me, when I do an acknowledgement, I want to have an understanding of what I'm acknowledging. And I think to do that, you know, we have to understand what sovereignty never ceded means.

That means we're on unceded land. Land that was stolen and land that is still wanting to be connected with its carers. And regardless of being indigenous or non-indigenous, our purpose here is to be caretakers of Country. We did that continually for 50,000 years. And the last 250 years, it's been really difficult to have connection to Country because of a myriad of reasons. And this song, Little Things, kind of details and tries to give a framework of understanding. Because I think if we don't talk about and we don't acknowledge and we don't learn both perspectives of what's happened here, then how can we ever know what to make of it or know where to go? So, for me, acknowledging all of that and understanding the tunnels that we have had to continually make is a really important thing. Yeah, and now I'm going to play a song with some much more talented people. Yeah.

# Gather round, people, and I'll tell you a story. 200 years of history that's falsified. British invaders that we remember as heroes. Are you ready to tell the other side? We started our story in 1493. With the piece of paper called The Doctrine of Discovery. Invoked by Pope Alexander VI. Without this good Christian, our story don't exist. # # From little things, big things grow. From little things, big things grow. # # Captain James Cook, he boarded a fleet. And he was armed with the Doctrine of Discovery. The same tactics were used by Columbus, it's. How today Australia claims Terra Nullius. 'cause on paper, the pope did write. That you're only human if you've been saved by Christ. And if there are no Christians in sight. The land you stumble on becomes your God-given right? # # From little things, big things grow. From little things. # # Is that your law? 'Cause that's invasion. That's the destruction of 500 nations. The genocide of entire populations. Which planted the seeds for the stolen generation. And grew into my people's mass incarceration. And now we post trauma through many generations. But your lord can't discover what already existed.

For 200 years, my people have resisted. # # From little things, big things grow. From little things, big things grow. # # The wars continued since Captain James Cook. And this side of history, you don't write in your books. You don't want the truth and you don't want to listen. How can you stomach Australia's contradiction? 'Cause we went to war in 1945. We were allies against a terrible genocide. And I know it's uncomfortable, but the irony I see. Is that you fought for them, but you don't fight for me. # # From little things, big things grow. From. # # And we should move on, move on to what? 'Cause I still remember, have you forgot? That Vincent Lingiari knew others were rising. Gurindji inspired us to keep on fighting. So call it Australia, go on call it what you like. I just call it how I see it and I see genocide. Now that you hear me, can you understand? There can never be justice on our stolen land. # # From little things, big things grow. From little things, big things grow. # # This is the story of so-called Australia.

But this is the story of so much more. How power and privilege cannot move my people. We know where we stand, we stand in our law. # # From little things, big things grow. From little things, big things grow. From little things, big things grow. From little things, big things grow. # # From little things, big things grow. From little things, big things grow. # # Since 1991, 441 indigenous Australians have died in custody. The casualties of a war that never ended. But we are not yet defeated. Always was, always will be. Sovereignty was never seeded. # (APPLAUSE)

Please thank these beautiful people up here with me. Thank you guys so much. That was so special. (APPLAUSE)

I just want to quickly say as well like, you know, like that's why I'm trying to tell my understanding is because I understand that I've had the privilege of knowing. And the system that was put in place to remove that humanity, is the same system that has educated you and is educating our future. And if we don't continue to build a space that allows our perspective of not only the last 250 years, but 50,000 years to be shared, then, of course, we're not going to be able to create change and create shift.

So it's like pretty earth shattering to me to be able to be here and do that with us, because this is about us. What we're trying to work on is a human rights issue. Because we're humans, as we all are. And when we continue to lose our humanity, in turn, you lose yours. Because we need each other. We're always going to need each other. And until we're able to build that understanding back and understand our purpose as caretakers, how do we move forward together? So, thank you for allowing me to come and thank you to the beautiful leaders of who we should be trying to take a page from that book. So thank you so much. (APPLAUSE)

KAREN JONES:
I always love that song. Paul Kelly is a songwriter, a storyteller that touches my heart. But I think I'm responsible for 10,000 of those downloads from that, prior to today. But I want you to go away thinking of those lines that have touched you, that have challenged you, that have confronted you today from Ziggy's song, Ziggy's adaption of that song from Paul Kelly. Because it is to challenge us for us to look inwards and to see the changes that we can make today for tomorrow. We talk about being caretakers of this land and we talk about the NAIDOC theme of Heal Country, but first we must also heal ourselves. We heal from our families and we care for our families. And we care for Country as we care for one another. But the truth is, many of our families continue to be suffering. They continue to be challenged by the world in which they live. And it's our responsibility to deliver those changes, the changes we talk about from little things, big things grow. We make a difference to all the data sets for Aboriginal student achievement, one student at a time.

We collect all those learning stories up. We make a difference to our families through one additional opportunity for one student, one child. In families, we have cared for this land for many hundreds of thousands of years, but we care for it for the next generation. We stood on the shoulders that had those that had gone before us, but we care for Country for the future. That's what it's all about. Our greatest investment is our gift to our kids for a future world that will be sustainable, that will celebrate the history of this nation. A celebration that we do collectively Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. We cannot deliver the difference on our own. We can only deliver the difference through your partnership, your preparedness to action to support us. I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for joining us here today in the Parramatta COVID safe environment. I want to make a couple of special thank you's to Ben, his mom and his brother who travelled down from Toronto. You inspire us.

You give us confidence and you remind us that the work that we do is extraordinary because we see that extraordinary gift in you. You are our future. We are so appreciative that we look to our youth to deliver the world that I will grow older in. Not just old, older in. And know that it's in safe hands when I meet young men like Ben.

I'd also like to acknowledge Ziggy. When we were challenged by who would we invite, we didn't want to make it easy and comfortable. We wanted to challenge ourselves. It's a song that I love. I've always loved that song. But now I'm challenged by reflection even more deeply, about the opportunities that we can work together on in changing our system from within to make it an even greater public education system.

I want to thank George for joining us, for Lisa and Chloë for their ongoing support of our directorate. You really are tireless in your support of us, and I just wanted to publicly acknowledge that. It's often left unsaid and probably we take it for granted and we never take the opportunity to say thank you.

But a heartfelt thank you from all of us in the Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships Directorate for maintaining the energy and the enthusiasm for the fight that remains. I'd also like to acknowledge Catherine Trindall, the new president of the New South Wales AECG who couldn't be here today because she had a prior commitment with all the regional presidents across the state. But they remain a key partner with our Aboriginal education family. We know that the passion of these women, the dedication of these women allow us to continue to strive for improvement. We strive for improvement each and every day, and we deliver that difference through the work of individuals that make this strong collective that we talk about as public education. It's not a faceless organisation, it's a collection of great people making a difference. Events like NAIDOC remind us of the importance of relationships in healing. Healing is not a Band-Aid. Sometimes we need to rip that Band-Aid off and see what really needs to be done as the treatment.

Celebrating NAIDOC, the education of our Aboriginal students would not be possible without our Aboriginal staff, their families, our communities and our non-Aboriginal staff. I thank you for joining us today. I thank you for taking the time with you being in this room or online. But there are a few people that are quietly behind the scenes working to make events like this happen. And I actually want to call them out to the front and embarrass them entirely. OK, I'd like to call out Emma Wenham. Thank you for running down with enthusiasm. Sally, come and join us. (APPLAUSE)

Come on. Come on, I'm looking. I'm looking. I'm trying to get it in order. Talithra I've spotted you too. Britney, you might be hiding up the back. Nadine. Where's Nadine? And I save the one I can see to the last, Sarah, come out the front. Now, I've missed Nadine. Where's Nadine? Oh, she's outside. I'm just going to draw attention to this. She's not outside because she wanted to be first to wait. OK? Come and join us, Nadine.

Events like this are really relaxing for me to attend because the hard work is done by others. So, I just wanted to public knowledge each and every day what a joy and privilege it is to sit with you, but and sit with you and work with you. But when things like this come together so beautifully, I just wanted to acknowledge each and every one of you individually. But what a great team you truly are. So, congratulations. (APPLAUSE)

And there are many more events. Yesterday, we partnered with Landcare. If you haven't seen it, go online, see those great kids, see that message stick passed around the state. There are three more days of festivities. Join us in the next three days for the online events, and especially that last day. Bring your singing voices. We have a great end to this fabulous week that we call NAIDOC. It is not truly NAIDOC Week, it's in a further two weeks. Why do we celebrate it this week? We celebrate it because it's when schools are open and operational. We exist for schools, to support schools.

End of transcript.

Terrelle: Giinagay from Kororo Public School, we are on Gumbaynggirr Land.

Karen Jones: Welcome to day four of our 2021 virtual NAIDOC Week celebration. Today we are focusing on healing and we will be meeting some of the Kinchela Boys Home Survivors. In 2020, the Kinchela Boys Home Survivors launched the mobile exhibition, developed with the support of the New South Wales Department of Education and other agencies. The Mobile Education Centre supports truth telling and healing within communities. Please listen to the Uncles’ stories as they share their experiences. The sharing of their lived experience and stories is impactful beyond words.

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with some of the Uncles, had time to be in the bus and yarn with them. It is a profoundly privileged opportunity you have to listen to their stories. Their stories are one of truth telling, their stories are one of resilience for they’ve come back to share to make sure government policies do not continue or ever again have a significant impact as they have previously.

We need to heal together. It is not something someone does in isolation. We heal together, for the benefit of us as Australian citizens. We heal together and we have a responsibility to make sure these stories are never forgotten. We need to heal these stories to learn and understand the journey, the hurt, the strength and the resilience of many of our family members. We need to listen and learn. We need to be respectful and value these stories. You will be touched by what you hear today. Touched to the very core of who you are as a person. Take that as part of your learning for this week.

I ask you now to take the time to join us as we welcome the Uncles from the Kinchela Boys Home. And I thank you for joining us again today on Day Four.

Uncle Widdy: This is the gate that they took us through when we were children. Once inside this gate, our childhood was handed. Was never to have any family love, never to have the pleasure of being a child again. They were treating us in a way that we couldn’t understand. We always ask the question why… we don’t ask that no more. ‘Cause we know the question why.

[clapping]

Uncle Widdy: Yes, I’m James Michael ‘Widdy’ Welsh… or ‘Number 36’. I’m a survivor of the Kinchela Boys Home, where I was taken as children, from my own land, which is Wongabong land and my people are the protectors of the black duck, that’s our totem.

Lesley: My name’s Lesley Franks, I am – I work at Kinchela Boys Home Corporation. It’s my honour to do that, to look after the KBH survivors and their families. My father is a KBH survivor, his name is also Leslie Franks. We are Wonnarua people and then on my mother’s side, I’m also Djabugay as well, so that’s a little bit about me.

Gloria: Ah yes, I’m the oldest granddaughter of my grandfather, Les Franks, which was in Kinchela Boys Home and I’m Wonnorua descendant as well. And I’m Djabugay descendant from Queensland.

Uncle Widdy: It is very special and it has beautiful rewards to us, that is something that we’ve been trying to find a way to be able to get this trauma and pain out of our mind and body that has been given to us from what the government policies did to us. So this bus is the perfect thing for us to be able to move and come together and travel and tell the stories about our trauma that we couldn’t talk about one time, because of fear of that, that people would… not like it, would not listen to us, would not believe us. And we come through a journey of evil stuff and find it very hard to trust anybody, but we trust this bus when we’re travelling with it.

Lesley: It means a lot to me because it’s one thing that my father thought nobody cared about the story as well. And even if the truth that he was going to tell people, often people wouldn’t believe him when he said whatever he had to say. And so this bus is kind of like proof that what he was saying all these years is real and it is true. And this bus proves that and I’m real proud of it, he’s real proud of it. He never thought he’d see something like this and have his photo stuck up on a wall, but he’s very proud of it. And yeah, and that makes me happy because Dad’s 82-years old and he can’t really… ah… Dad’s not really in awe of many things, but when he saw the bus, he just yeah, if he could cry, which I’d never see [laughs] he probably would’ve done that. But yeah, he loves the bus for what it stands for.

Gloria: Well I was pretty blown away, especially being my grandfather’s oldest daughter and to actually take on this journey that I call a ‘Stolen Generation journey’ to actually see all this information being put together, all the hard works that’s come out of what we’re sitting in right now is, um, I have a real honour to be a part of this as well, because it’s like truth telling stories that are being told, you know, before my time. Before I was born, not that my grandfather could actually open up and say that I was a part of Stolen Generations so having a bus like this where my grandfather could actually talk about those things. I can come here and have that comfort, and sort of know that I’m a part of something in a way? That my grandfather couldn’t really, yeah, openly talk about. So I can come here and pass that onto the next generations, for my children. And I think it’s really important to have something like this combined with education.

Uncle Widdy: Bloody hell. Yeah, it’s um… it’s the journey back home that I’ve been waiting for my life, even though I’ve been home sometime in my life. And I worked hard. Did a lot of things in me hometown. I would’ve left it at a very early stage in my life again and I fell in love and I married a young woman out there. But it’s the journey home and it’s still waiting for it to be finalised and happen – not only meself, but a lot of the other brothers it’d be the same thing. So NAIDOC is the only time that we come together as family is at funerals, and this is not a funeral. This is a gathering of a chance to be able to socialise with people that we couldn’t. That word, ‘socialise’, wasn’t part of our, the way that we acted when we got out of that place because when we opened up to talk to anybody, we didn’t speak. We didn’t speak the way that the communities spoke. We didn’t speak the way that our people spoke. We spoke in a way that I didn’t know it was different. But after years of being traumatised and going through a journey of alcohol abuse, I realised that, that’s, it was a trauma. And the people that I’ve coming in contact with… I say in what my older people, my Elders, would say to me that, you know, don’t be so hard on yourself. And when this NAIDOC Week comes around, it’s truly is a good chance to run into – there’s not many of them left now – of some of our older, knowledge Elders, so that we can talk about… where a possibility for our future, for our grandchildren, and understand a lot of the pain that I’ve been carrying in my life. That’s NAIDOC for me.

Lesley: I never knew this until I started, as we’ve all said, this is a journey in all survivors and descendants, that we all get on, and I’ve never known this before, but now I understand what the land means. We’re all walking on the land which is, has the blood and the bones of our ancestors on it. And so I have a different feel about the land. Now when I walk on it and I tell my children and grandchildren, I help them to have a respect for that and I think the truth telling of what land means, or Country means, needs to be told, that so the truth of everything about Country needs to be told so that everybody can start to respect the land that we walk on and to treat it differently than we probably have been lately. Because, and I really feel that once you get that connection to the Country, your Country or the land that you’re walking on, then that shapes the way that you think and the way you do things better. And that you want to care for the land and want to have beautiful, you know, drinking water. You wanna have places you can swim and take your kids and grandkids. And to know that this is a part of you, and so when it’s a part of you, then you treat it differently, you think of it differently. And that’s what I feel that healing Country means – it’s getting to know the truth of your Country, shape the way you start to think about Country then.

Gloria: For me, a lot of this is kind of sad because I’ve never ever had connection with my grandfather’s Country down here in New South Wales. So that’s a really big, deep part of me that I haven’t actually went back to my grandfather’s own Country in the Wonnorua area. So being on the ‘Stolen Generation journey’ that I call it, I find that as we all have seen in Australia, the bushfires, the land around us is hurting. Because there’s a lot of pain and these untold stories that need to be heard, you know, just to be out there so that all of our ancestors and the ones that are surviving can be free at least just to know that they get some recognition back, you know? And just have fairness in their own Country and their land. To be able to come at peace and you know, know that they can pass at least some piece of land onto their next generations.

Uncle Widdy: What needs to happen down there are the things to heal that other stories that daughters and my nieces just spoke about themselves is… unable to be, or weren’t allowed to be able to stand up or be at the front, always being told, you know, ‘we’re gonna make you white, but at the moment, you’re a little black bean.’ You know, ‘you shut up and listen and do what you’re told.’ And the floggings that we get, and the starvations that they would do to us, the abuse that they’d give, physical and sexual – all those stories need to be told. All those stories need to be presented somewhere. And that site, where we were taken to, when we went through that gate, ‘The Gates of Hell’, [looking at Kinchela gate] some of those brother’s called it. We knew it was an evil place when we went through there. It’s something that, to us, is equivalent to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, how it connects North Sydney and the Opera House, the icon that they idolise. That place is a place that holds the power of our stories. The truth of our stories. The children and anybody else that wants to go or wants to understand trauma or pain that been across this land for so many years, they can go there and understand that pain a bit better. To help understand why people are acting in certain ways. And they’re not, they’re not evil, they’re not bad. It’s just that the system has never given them a chance to grow into a family loving house, a home, that we never had. So that holds the history of all of that. And it needs to be told. It needs to be stored. And that’s the place for it to be. We call it the Kinchela Boys Home, but it never was a home. It was a bad place, but that’s identified with that name, ‘KBH’. That’s what I feel.

Lesley: I used to think, ‘Why would you even wanna keep that place? Let’s burn it down and knock it down and do whatever.’ But now I realise it has to stand, so hopefully they never ever do that again, what they did to all the innocent little fellas. I also want it to stand for reasons because one of the saddest things my father ever told me was that when he was able to leave Kinchela, he went to Cobargo, I think it was? And then… they had no work for about two months. And then he said, ‘So I went back to Kinchela’ and I said, ‘What, why did you go back there, Dad?’ And he said, ‘because I had nowhere else to go, I didn’t know where else to go. And so for that reason, I want everyone to remember Kinchela, to see Kinchela, and that it’s down there but a symbol of, wow, you know, our fathers, grandfathers went through there, it didn’t break them. It made them stronger and they made us stronger. And then we… we want their stories to never be forgotten. And that’s why it has to stand, because it’ll heal the Country that it’s on – Kemspey. Kempsey’s just not far from Kinchela?

Uncle Widdy: That’s right.

Lesley: And it, in my opinion, it’s still a racist town. And so, I really want Kinchela to be a beacon of – I don’t know – something that will just let everybody understand that, you know, we’re all human, we all deserve respect and to be treated right. And if the truth be told, again, this is Koori people’s land and that you’re standing on that. And to respect that. And so when people understand like I said, the importance of the land and what it means – then that’s when the land can heal. And that’s when people heal and the communities heal and their towns heal, it’s when they accept that the truth is the truth. And sometimes you have to, you have to make amends to people and that you have to really – and when I say have to make amends, you have to listen to their story truthfully. Not half listen and think that you know better what they’ve been through and what it was for them. And so for me that’s how the Country heals. The Truth. And that’s how Kinchela will heal, by leaving that those buildings, everything there on site so everybody’s asks, ‘What’s that tree? What’s there? What was that there? What was there?’ And these stories will go on forever. But then now they’re gonna be stories of survival. Of, you know, strong deadly men, that, you know, rose above all this horrible… treatment that they were all subjected to all those years ago. But it didn’t break them. And this proof, we’re sitting here with Uncle Widdy. Deadly Uncle Widdy here. [laughs] Showing up, and that’s what we want everybody to see, I want my grandkids to see and my grandkids’ kids’ kids’ kids. And that’s how you heal the Country, learn to love the Country around by understanding what happened there and what the importance of what Country should mean. Yeah.

Gloria: Being… a granddaughter and kind of, trying to be the role model for all the other cousins that maybe don’t want to know about all of this. To at least maybe try to find some ways of healing and understanding a lot of our family issues and you know, some trauma things, you know, that we, kind of live through on a daily basis of having that understanding part of trying to heal. Try to feel that, you know, if we have a place like Kinchela, sorry the site. I feel that if we can have at least that place to heal because as I know, I can’t just go back to my grandfather’s Country and say, ‘Oh, you know, my grandfather can show me around here, I’ll heal there.’ Because he wasn’t connected to that Country, so how can I go and heal there? Even though I’m an Indigenous person and know that my family members are there. But you know, I know, and I see some things that I’ve been researching and finding out a lot about this is, you know, my grandfather can walk around and say, ‘Oh, this and that.’ You know, just from growing up there, but it’s not just about my grandfather showing me that that’s healing as well, because my grandfather is actually talking about things that he never ever talked about in his life. And I just hope there will be one day when I can make that connection and that healing journey with my grandfather to be a part of going back to the site and just having that healing. Because you know, they’ve been through too much trauma to where my grandfather doesn’t wanna talk about it. So, you know, but as long as I’m on this journey to try and even learn from the Uncles and understand to go back there and maybe feel connected in some way, that’s mostly important, just passing onto the next generations, yeah.

Uncle Widdy: One of the things that I’m always on about is about rebuilding family structure. And the rebuilt family structure, the truth needs to be told about what did happen. And the truth needs to be taught in the schools. So this bus is just what, again, the power of this bus is the beginning of a journey and we have so many of the other, you know, teachers that have come so far in this area, and students. And I truly believe that when we get to this educational part, down into the five and six-year-old children when they’re going to school. I know then, that in my mind and heart, that three to four generations down the track, that this will be a better land to live on. And there’ll be a better understanding of each and every race of people that’s on this island. I’ll explain it in just a little bit, a way that people would, might find this a little bit hurting but confusing but, to me, this land that they call Australia – I never felt welcome to it. I never, I never felt part of it, because they never allowed me to be part of it. They took me away from my people and my culture, my Wongabong land where I was born. That’s what this island was called. To each and every one of the people of this land, and Indigenous people, this land was that. Then they named it Australia, put us all in the one big basket. And created a trauma. So this, and what we do here, what we talk about now that we couldn’t talk about – is the truth. And the only healing process that will heal the pain and the trauma that we carry across this land.

Lesley: When you look at our people, you might see a lot of ‘dysfunction’, I guess, for want of a better word. But if you won’t know our history and the truth of our history, then you can get to know why a lot of our mob act out the way that they do. And understand that that’s what it comes from. This isn’t a live that we all wanted to have, for a lot of us it was forced on our fathers and grandfathers. And so then they didn’t get a chance to be real fathers and grandfathers and they didn’t know how to be. And so, that kind of reflected on their parenting I guess. And even my parenting, my father was in a Stolen Generation and then I’m a mother and this is my daughter. I know that I didn’t know how to be a mother as well. So, what I would say, like I said to everybody, that understanding and truth – getting to know the truth of who people are is something that everybody should do and then you will understand better. And then you will be more able to help and talk to people to help them too because a lot of us, I didn’t know why I used to be in this crazy world in my head, in my heart and everything, until the day that somebody said to me, that, that’s trauma. And then I went, ‘What? Okay. I thought it was just me, I thought I was just some crazy person that didn’t understand anything and hadn’t, yeah.’ It was freedom for me, the truth of that. Letting me know that I’ve come from something that was bigger and outside of me. And then from that day, to this, I said, ‘Okay, so it’s not me, that’s good. At least I know it’s not me.’ [laughs] I’m just not a crazy person. And then now, I tell anybody, ‘It’s not you. This is what you’re doing. You’re acting out from your trauma.’ And then that’s freedom. That helps people to realise that it’s not them. And that’s the best thing that I feel we can do – is let people know the truth so that then they have ways of handling their life from here on. And people that are watching from the outside, they might say, they might understand better when they see people acting out in ways that are probably not ‘socially acceptable’ is all I can say, yeah.

Gloria: On the education side of things, if, you know, we went to school and we learnt a lot about Captain Cook, what he’s discovered, what he’s, you know, what his journey was. And why couldn’t I read some stuff of what my grandfathers, you know, if there was a book or something to do with education in school, where their journey was coming out of, you know, being taken away. You know and the journey that they had to try and with all this trauma, confusion, of trying to go back at least, you know, trying to say, ‘Who am I?’ You know, to try and make that connection. So I just kind of feel that, you know, just how far that the Uncles have come today and having a bus like this. Really, on the education part of things, like this is left for my children to be passed on for the next generation. And that’s one positive thing. You know, that they still stood with their heads held high. To get to where they are today. And I just feel that, yeah, it’s a learning process as much as I’m going on the Stolen Generation, what I call it. I’m learning a lot of things and I’ve only been, you know, fully known all this stuff in the last six months. And you know, I wouldn’t say it’s impacted my life. I feel that now I can teach my children at the younger age, to know that by the time they get to, maybe 24, 26, that they’re not saying, ‘What’s going on Mum?’ and they’re feeling crazy because of the trauma that’s been put on our families and before, you know, the Uncles and the grandfathers that could never ever just sit down and maybe, you know, give that bit of emotional cuddling and just saying, ‘You are right. You know. I know you are right.’ But when we, when I know my brother went to the site and he said, or my grandfather said to him was, he said, ‘I went through all of this, for yous,’ you know? That’s all he could say. So where, where do I kind of go from here? But just take on all this education and to pass it on in a positive way for the next generations and maybe others who wanna learn about this, it’s not just about the negative, it’s about the positives. ‘Cause, you know, a lot the Uncles, as my grandfather was, he was a, he was a… the head foreman of a construction site. You know, so you know, and I know Uncle Widdy’s the Chairman of, you know, Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation today. So, you know, just goes to show that they’ve hit high gold standards in their lives as well. So, you know, I suppose it’s kind of, you know, everything when you, you know, dealing with a lot of trauma. A lot of that comes out of, out of that comes a lot of positives as well.

Uncle Widdy: Now this is a photo of me. ‘They’re happy at Kempsey.’ And that’s the truth. We were happy at Kempsey for the simple fact that we were out of that evil place where they had us, put us on the boast. That was the first time we were allowed to associate inside somebody else’s world outside of Kinchela. Before then, we weren’t allowed outside of that gate of Kinchela.

[Our Pain plays]

We were taken away

From our families

Learned to be slaves

And soldiers to march everywhere

For we are

The Kinchela Boys

And you destroy the most innocent people in the world

Us little kids

We were just little kids

For we are the Kinchela Boys

Just little kids

Taken away from our families

Learned to be slaves and soldiers to march everywhere

We are the Kinchela Boys

And you destroy the most innocent people in the world

Us little kids

We are still the Kinchela Boys

Brave through the years

And we found out we’re Black, not human

Now we’re still alive

Today

Tomorrow

Yesterday

For we are

The Kinchela Boys

And you destroy the most innocent people in the world

Us little kids

We were just little kids

BIANCA:

I’m Bianca, a proud Aboriginal woman, my Country is the Dunghutti land which is now called Kempsey. The Land on which our College is located on is the home of the Warra Warra people. There were once thirty clans which are now made up of the Darug nation.

We would like to acknowledge the Warra Warra people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging of the Darug nation and extend that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people present.

BEN SAUNDERS:

Welcome to day five, our final day of NAIDOC Week celebrations.

I would like to begin today by acknowledging the custodians of the Land on which I come to you today, the Awabakal people and pay my respects to Elders past and present. I also acknowledge the Country, family, and cultural values of all Aboriginal students and staff within our schools.

What a week it has been. From planting trees with Landcare, to learning from Uncle Bruce Pascoe and hearing the experiences from the Kinchela Boys Home Education Bus, I sure have learned a lot!

I hope you have also learned a lot and are inspired to continue healing country in your local area.

Today we will have the opportunity to participate in two sing-a-long events with students from across New South Wales.

At the end of the sing-a-long Ms Karen Jones will bring to a close the New South Wales Department of Education’s 2021 NAIDOC Week celebrations. Thank you for joining me this week, I hope you have also enjoyed the festivities.

CHRISTINE ANU:

Hello and happy NAIDOC Week 2021 to all the amazing and bright students in our NSW public schools. My name is Christine Anu and I am a proud Torres Strait Islander women.

I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of Country throughout Australia, and pay my respect to elders past, present and emerging. May we join together in acknowledging and respecting the living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples.

Today, I join you for a sing-a-long of two of my favourite songs, ‘My Island Home’ and ‘Taba Naba’. Both songs celebrate Healing Country and the importance of connecting with the land, water and song lines that surround us every day.

It is very important that we care for our Country, and for each other, to ensure the ongoing revitalisation and protection of our beautiful island home. I can not wait to sing along with your all, as we continue to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

#Six years I've been in the city
And every night I dream of the sea
They say home is where you find it
Will this place ever satisfy me
For I come from the saltwater people
We always live by the sea
Now I'm down here living in the city
With my man and my family

My island home
My island home
My island home is waiting for me
My island home
My island home
My island home is waiting for me

In the evening the dry wind blows
From the hills and across the plain
I close my eyes and I'm standing
In a boat on the sea again
And I'm holding that long turtle spear
And I feel I'm close now
To where it must be
And my island home is waiting for me

For I come from the saltwater people
We always live by the sea
Now I'm down here living in the city
With my man and my family

And my island home
My island home
My island home is waiting for me
My island home
My island home
My island home is waiting for me

My island home
My island home
My island home is waiting for me
My island home
My island home
My island home is waiting for me

My island home
My island home
My island home
My island home
My island home
My island home#

CHRISTINE ANU:

This is Taba Naba. In the Meriam Mir language of the eastern Torres Strait it means, ‘Let’s all go down to the reef and have a good time.’ Are you ready?

Taba naba naba norem
Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere naba we
Taba naba norem
Style!

Naba naba naba norem

Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere naba we
Naba naba norem
Style!
Taba naba naba norem
Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere naba we
Taba naba norem
Style!
Taba naba naba norem
Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere naba we
Taba naba norem
Style!
Taba naba naba norem
Tugi penai siri
Dinghy e naba we
Miko keimi
Sere naba we
Taba naba norem
Style!
Style!
Style!

KAREN JONES:

What a fabulous week we’ve had! Thank you for joining us. I know that I’ve learned a lot, and I hope you have as well. NAIDOC Week is always a time to reflect and celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal people. A time to learn more about our local Country as we celebrate this year’s theme of Heal Country!

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of your for joining us for some or all of the special events this week. Our public schools have eagerly participated and celebrated with us at different times throughout this week.

And I want to thank particularly our talented performers. I’d also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the staff and community that have supported and nurtured the development of those performers. Of course, we must thank our special key partners this year, the NSW AECG, partners in our everyday business; our Connected Communities Directorate, always working alongside and leading in the Department of Education; Landcare Australia, Kinchela Mobile Boys Home, Bruce Pascoe and our musical guests.

Thank you all for joining in our NAIDOC Week celebrations. I hope you feel inspired to go out and work with your communities, connect with the leaders in your Aboriginal communities, learn more and together work collectively and individually, work within our families as we heal Country for future generations to come. Thank you.

GOODBYE:

Yaarri yarrang! Goodbye from the Gumbaynggirr nation!

My Island Home

School Name	Country
Abbotsford Public School	Wamgal
Allambie Heights Public School	Gadigal
Annandale North Public School	Gadigal
Arcadia Public School	Darug
Arncliffe Public School	Gadigal/Darug
Artarmon Public School	Kameraygal
Asquith Public School	Darug
Athelstane Public School	Gadigal
Austinmer Public School	Dharawal
Avalon Public School	Gadigal
Balgowlah North Public School	Gadigal
Balgownie Public School	Dharawal
Bankstown north public School	Darug
Bardwell Park Infants School	Gadigal/Bidjigal
Bargo Public School	Dharawal
Barmedman Public School	Wiradjuri
Barnsley Public School	Barnsley
Barrenjoey High School	Guringai
Bathurst South Public School	Wiradjuri
Baulkham Hills High School	Darug
Baulkham Hills North Public School	Bidjigal
Baulkham Hills Public School	Darug
Beaumont Hills Public School	Darug
Beauty Point Public School	Guringai/Darug
Beelbangera Public School	Wiradjuri
Bellambi Public School	Dharawal
Bellevue Hill Public School	Gadigal
Belmore South Public School	Bedigal
Belrose Public School	Garingai
Berala Public School	Berala
Berry Public School	Cullunghutti
Bexhill Public School	Bundjalung
Binalong Public School	Ngunawal
Biraban Public School	Awabakal
Blackalls Public School	Kurra Kurran
Blackett Public School	Darug
Boggabri Public School	Kamilaroi
Bondi Public School	Gadigal
Boronia Park Public School	Wallamettagal
Bowral Public School	Gundurra
Bradbury Public School	Dharawal
Brooklyn Public School	Guringai
Bulli Public School	Dharawal
Burnside Public School	Kaurna
Caddies Creek Public School	Darug
Cambridge Gardens Public School	Darug
Cambridge Park High School	Darug
Cambridgepark Public School	Darug
Cammeray Public School	Wiradjuri
Cammeraygal High School	Cammeraygal
Carlton Public School - Sydney Tech	Dharawal
Carrathool Public School	Wiradjuri
Carrathool Public School	Wiradjuri
Castle Hill High School	Darug
Castlreagh Public School	Darug
Central Mangrove Public School	Darkingjung
Cessnock East Public School	Awabakal/Darkinjung/Wunnarua
Chifley Public School	Dharawal
Clunes Public School	Bundjalung
Coniston Public School	Dharawal
Dubbo College Delroy Campus	Wiradjuri
Dunedoo Central School	Wiradjuri
Elizabeth Macarthur High School	Dharawal
Fairy Meadow Demonstration School	Dharawal
Ferncourt Public School	Gadigal
Granville Public School	Deerrubbin
Griffith Public School	Wiradjuri
Hamilton Public School	Awabakal
Jindabyne Public School	Ngarigo
John Palmer Public School	Darug
Kellyville High School	Darug
Mount Druitt Public School	Darug
Mount Kuring-Gai Public School	Guringai
Peak Hill Central School	Wiradjuri
Quakers Hill East Public School	Darug
Richmond North Public School	Darug
Rosemeadow Public School	Dharawal
Rutherford Public School	Wonnarua
Sanctuary Point Public School	Jerrinja
Smith's Hill High School	Dharawal
Somersby Public School	Darkinjung
Stanwell Park Public School	Dharawal
Thornleigh West public School	Garingal
Tumut High School	Wiradjuri
Vardys Road Public School	Gadigal
Warilla High School	Dharawal
Yeoval Central School	Wiradjuri

Taba Naba

School Name	Country
Alma Public School	Paakantji/Baakantji
Armidale City Public School	Anaiwan
Balarang Public School	Tharawal
Bateau Bay Public School	Darkinjung
Bendemeer Public School	Kamilaroi
Biraban Public School	Awabakal/Worimi
Black Springs Public School	Dha/Wiradjuri
Bomaderry Public School	Tharawal
Bonville Public School	Gumbaynggir
Boree Creek Public School	Wiradjuri
Bowen Public School	Wiradjuri
Bringelly Public School	Darug
Broken Hill North Public School	Eora
Brooke Avenue Public School	Darkinjung
Budgewoi Public School	Darkinjung
Bungwahl Public School	Worimi
Cambewarra Public School	Tharawal
Captains Flat Public School	Ngarigo
Carrington Public School	Awakabal
Casino West Public School	Bundjalung
Coopernook Public School	Biripai
Culburra Public School	Tharawal
Fennell Bay Public School	Awabakal
Fern Bay Public School	Awabakal
Forbes North Public School	Wiradjuri
Freemans Reach Public School	Dharug
Girilambone Public School	Wiradjuri
Glossodia Public School	Darkinung/Darug
Grahamstown Public School	Worimi
Gwandalan Public School	Awabakal
Hamilton South Public School	Awabakal
Iona Public School	Wonnarua
Jamberoo Public School	Tharawal
Jugiong Public School	Wiradjuri
Kanwal Public School	Darkinjung
Kearsley Public School	Wonnarua/Darkinjung/Awabakal
Kirkton Public School	Wonnarua
Koonawarra Public School	Tharawal
Kyeemagh Infants School	Eora
Lansvale East Public School	Eora
Lowanna Public School	Gumbaynggir
Madang Avenue Public School	Darug
Marulan Public School	Gundungurra
Mawarra Public School	Tharawal
Moulamein Public School	Wemba Wemba/Mutthi Mutthi
Mount Kanwary Public School	Worimi
Nangus Public School	Wiradjuri
Narranga Public School	Gumbaynggir
Newington Public School	Eora
Nillo Infants School	Wonnarua
Orange East Public School	Wiradjuri
Pelican Flat Public School	Awabakal
Primbee Public School	Tharawal
Regentville Public School	Darug