Cooktown youth perform for their community after a Torres Strait Islander dance, song and language workshop to mark NAIDOC Week. Photo: Supplied.
Although NAIDOC Week is officially observed from 6-13 July, the Cape kept the celebrations going all month long for the 50th anniversary of the annual event.
From cultural workshops to storytelling, and even a visit from the Queensland Governor, community leaders across Cape York and the Torres Strait passed on their knowledge and histories through a plethora of community activities in honour of this year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy.
Queensland Reconciliation Award winner Pormpur Paanthu Aboriginal Corporation (PPAC) welcomed Queensland Governor Dr Jeannette Young to the Pormpuraaw community last week in celebration of past achievements and the bright future ahead.
“She was keen to see Pormpuraaw after we won the Queensland Reconciliation Award for the Youth Summit,” PPAC president Ganthi Kuppusamy said.
“She’s interested in what’s happening in Pormpuraaw, and she’s coming back for the Youth Summit in September.”
Due to sorry business, the community had to cancel their official NAIDOC celebration, which was scheduled for last week with Dr Young, but Ms Kuppusamy mentioned several group activities were held earlier in the month.
“We had activities with the men’s group, women’s group, Elders, and also with youth,” she said.
“We mainly did storytelling between Elders and the young people, we went out to have a yarning session, and also some cultural activities like weaving near the beach.”
In Cooktown, young people connected with Torres Strait history during a dance, language and song workshop through Gungarde Community Care Aboriginal Association (GCCAA) earlier this month.
Organiser Melissa Griffiths said GCCAA initially approached two local Torres Strait Islander Elders to perform at the community NAIDOC celebrations, but the conversation turned into an opportunity to include youth.
“I could see they were feeling a bit reluctant, because it would only be them and one of their grandchildren,” she said.
“That’s where we came into this conversation about [whether] they could do a workshop in the lead-up, so that we would have dancers to perform as a group.
“NAIDOC is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, but often, here, there’s not a massive representation of Torres Strait Islander culture as much as Aboriginal, so I guess I wanted to see more of that, too.”
The young people from three to 18 years old performed on stage for the community alongside the Elders, gaining confidence throughout the three-day workshop series.
“I was really surprised with their engagement; even some of them that were a bit reluctant at first, they really came out of their shells and got into it,” Ms Griffiths said.
Youth at PCYC Napranum got crafty and colourful with an afternoon of weaving and basket-making, banner painting, and a colour run to finish off the day.
Club manager Sergeant Rhonda Spence said the young people also focused on connecting to their community as whole in honour of the theme.
“Our great team and youth also prepared, cooked and provided a cultural meal to community,” she said.
“It is also about teaching our young people about giving back, and how good it makes them feel.”
Pormpuraaw leaders Ganthi Kuppusamy and Myrtle Foote welcome Queensland Governor Dr Jeanette Young to the community in celebration of NAIDOC Week. Photo: Supplied.
PCYC Napranum youth learn the importance of giving back to their community in honour of this year’s NAIDOC Week theme. Photo: Supplied.
