THE Kendall Public School community commemorated NAIDOC Week on Monday, 23 June, honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, traditions and culture.
NAIDOC stands for “National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee”, and is synonymous in Australia with celebrations of Indigenous culture and history.
In 1975, it was decided such festivities should last a week, and the modern NAIDOC Week was born, inspired by an Indigenous protest movement dating back to the 1920s and ‘30s.
2025 marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week celebrations, with this year’s theme being “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy”.
At KPS on Monday, the school organised an array of activities for both First Nations and non-Indigenous students to connect with and celebrate all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures.
Aboriginal Elder Uncle Bill O’Brien performed a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country, setting the tone for the celebrations.
This was followed by an Acknowledgement of Country from KPS student Yindi White and an address by school parliament prime ministers Braxton and Ava.
Camden Haven High School (CHHS) student Kitty Miller took centre stage performing a captivating dance before the assembly concluded with a whole-school performance of ‘My Island Home’.
From here KPS students, along with Indigenous students from CHHS, participated in a diverse range of activities designed to deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
These included storytelling and face painting, beading, rock art, language lessons, and a weapon and tool demonstration.
Aboriginal students Ava and Jai-Ahlie expressed their enjoyment sharing their culture with their school community and peers.
Ava identified the significance of having “different people visiting the school” as a highlight.
Jai-Ahlie shared that the celebrations were “very special”.
“It was nice having my family at school and sharing Aboriginal culture with my friends.”
By Kim AMBROSE
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