“The common theme this year for NAIDOC is ‘we all stand on sacred ground’,” Eden Marine High School Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Meaghan Holt said.

“And that theme really shaped our day.”

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. 

Spanning a week at the start of July, this annual event is dedicated to raising awareness about the status and treatment of indigenous Australians, and celebrate the culture and value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 

Over this past week, activities have taken place right across the nation, and at Eden Marine High School celebrations began with a special morning assembly. “We watched excerpts from a documentary about connection to, and importance of, our land, and then student Shania Aldridge sang ‘My Island Home’,” Ms Holt said. “We also launched the hip-hop video produced by Desert Pea Media in May, featuring Yuin elder, Uncle Ossie Cruse.” 

The assembly was attended by all the staff and students, and featured talks by mentors visiting the schools, from the University of Canberra and the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME).

“AIME is a mentoring program to engage koori kids, and give them a strong sense of future,” Jon Youens, an AIME representative, explained. 

“We’re also here to break down the barriers,” Ben Johnston, outreach officer with the University of Canberra, said. “We travel to schools along the coast and into inland NSW, connecting with koori kids from lower socio economic status areas, making them aware of opportunities for further education and university.”

Mr Johnston was accompanied by a University of Canberra student, Jack Hall, who carried the inspiring title of ‘Aspirations Agent’ during the visit. “I’m fresh out of school, so the kids can relate to me,” Mr Hall. “I can tell them about what it’s really like to be at Uni, living on campus, and studying.”

Part of the NAIDOC week kick-off was a literal kick-off down at the sports’ oval after lunch. “One of our traditions is a teacher versus student footy match,” Ms Holt, said. “Koori and non-koori kids play, and it’s another way to drive home the main message of connection, teamwork, and sharing experiences.” 

For a day dedicated to connection rather than competition, the end result for the match was perfect.

“It ended in a tie,” Ms Holt reported happily.