On Monday, 3 July the Galari Bila Waga Dhaanys started NAIDOC Week with a visit to RSL LifeCare’s William Beech Gardens and Robert White Retirement Village in Condobolin.
They did an Acknowledgement in Wiradjuri language on Wiradjuri Country for the residents. They then spent time interacting with the residents and listening to their stories from yesteryear.
“Our Elders are knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones,” a post on the Galari Bila Waga Dhaanys Facebook Page read.
“They guide us with their experiences and the stories that continue to flow from one generation to the next.
“Meeting and talking to the residents was beautiful as they had questions about the meaning of the dances, boomerangs, clapsticks, ochre and they told stories of when they were younger.
“One gentleman could remember people throwing boomerangs at Euabalong when he was younger.
“Many thanked us for coming to see them and asked for the Gilari crew to come back again soon.”
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. NAIDOC Week ran from Sunday, 2 July until Sunday, 9 July in 2023 and this year’s theme was ‘For Our Elders’.