Page 626 - Week 02 - Thursday, 21 February 2019
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Torres Strait Islander communities to share their cultures, music and stories with the wider community.
A highlight was the Durrungan Cultural Dance Group, who visited the festival to share the stories of their ancestors with us, the diverse and enthusiastic audience. Isaiah Firebrace performed at the Indigenous showcase and drew a large crowd. It was lovely to see a number of young women and girls dancing at the front of the stage. Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to sincerely thank Jo Chivers and the Canberra and District NAIDOC Committee for creating such a successful evening involving so many talented dancers and musicians.
I am pleased to say that the Indigenous showcase was not the only part of the festival recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures this year. Musicians Christine Anu and Isaiah Firebrace and celebrity chef Mark Olive were the headline acts for this year: three Indigenous Australians who proudly share their connection to culture and country.
A festival highlight for me was visiting the children’s sanctuary, where there were a number of activities for children to participate in. I was pleased to see young children learning about Aboriginal artwork as they took part in painting and reading activities. The sanctuary program also included a bush tucker presentation by Indigenous chef Mark Olive. Mark is a passionate advocate for native ingredients. He spoke about his love for Australian bush foods and his wish that Australians could recognise and appreciate the bounty of ingredients in our own backyard. Mark’s obvious connection to the land and his motivation to share this with as many people as possible was inspiring. Madam Deputy Speaker, I almost wished that I actually cooked.
The Multicultural Festival is a fantastic opportunity for Canberrans, and indeed visitors from across Australia and the world, to reflect on the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures within the context of our multicultural society. It was particularly poignant that this year’s festival was dotted with flags that reminded festival goers that we were celebrating on the lands of the Ngunnawal people, a reminder that this is their land and that their sovereignty over it was never ceded.
While it is always sad to see the end of the festival for another year, Canberrans are lucky that we have a number of other opportunities throughout the year to recognise the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures to our society as well as our diverse multicultural community.
Last year’s inaugural Reconciliation Day public holiday was marked with a reconciliation in the park event that was, by all accounts, an outstanding success. I am sure that members will be pleased to know that this year’s Reconciliation Day will again be marked with a family-friendly event, and I look forward to working with the Reconciliation Council on the details as 27 May approaches. In addition to this event, the government’s Reconciliation Day grants program is now open for submissions. These grants will support the community to get involved in finding new and creative ways to acknowledge the ongoing journey towards reconciliation.
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