NAIDOC Week is here, with this year's theme 'Voice, Treaty, Truth'.
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This year NAIDOC Week, which stands for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee, will be celebrated between July 7 - 14.
Earlier this year Red Room Poetry in conjunction with Poetry in First Language held a number of poetry workshops for First Nation students in the Gundungarra language.
Not only will these works will now be on display and read out at the NAIDOC ceremony but they will now feature on the Bus Backs from July 8 as part of the community's NAIDOC celebrations.
Gundungarra raised Gunai Nation women Kirli Saunders and founder of the Poetry in the First Language said that NAIDOC was an exciting time for her.
"For me, NAIDOC is a celebration of Aboriginal achievement," she said
"We've reached out to some of the schools for students to read out their poetry but we are waiting on confirmation.
"NAIDOC falls on the school holidays but hopefully we have some students come out."
Aboriginal Community Development Officer Melissa Wiya said it was "great to see this celebration of Gundungurra culture, language and country and to share this with the broader community."
The NAIDOC official flag raising ceremony will be held on July 8 at 10 am at the Wingecarribee Shire Council and will feature Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony and Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness dancers.
Highlanders of all ages are encouraged to join and participate in a number of programs held across the week such as the 'On Country' Aboriginal Cultural Experience on July 11 in Berrima and a NAIDOC Family Fun Day Hosted by Yamanda Aboriginal Association on July 13.
Schools in the Highlands have held NAIDOC Week assemblies and workshops in the past two weeks, which saw NAIDOC artist of the year Darren Dunn visit Oxley College for an Aboriginal art and culture workshop.
Bowral High School also celebrated NAIDOC Week with an assembly, which featured a performance by performance by Yuni man Goombine from the Wodi Wodi Tribe. Year 10 students also had a chance to listen to Adam Perkins talk about his father Charles Perkins and his fight for equality for Aboriginal people.
Visit https://www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/events for all event details.
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