LIVING narratives are the focus of this year’s NAIDOC week, which explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestral connections.
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Moree’s celebrations officially kick off with a street march from the Dhiiyaan Centre to the Town Hall from 9am on Monday, followed by a flag raising and official opening. Recently dubbed Elders of the Year at the Reconciliation Gala Awards, Zona Moore, Lloyd Benge and Stan Smith will be honoured as special guests. Paul Spearim Jr will speak on the NAIDOC theme, Songlines.
Darrel Smith, chief executive officer of Miyay Birray Youth Service, is looking forward to sharing the theme with the younger generation, and said many of the NAIDOC week events have musical and artistic elements. Miyay Birray received a $3000 share in state funding to help address the theme.
Songlines, also known as dreaming tracks, are believed to record the travels of ancestral beings who created the land and its living creatures. Recorded in traditional songs, artworks, stories and dances, songlines are intricate networks which map everything from travel and trade routes to the locations of waterholes and food.
Darrel said Moree’s NAIDOC celebrations aren’t exclusive to the Indigenous community, and invited locals to come along to any of 25 events spanning over the next two weeks.
“We want to open it up to the whole community. We want the whole community to celebrate our culture and join in the NAIDOC week activities,” he said.
The town can look forward to snooker and poker competitions, a children’s sports day, discos, a trivia night and Elders gatherings. Sport enthusiasts are expected to travel to Moree from around the region for Saturday’s Neville Cutmore and Vincent Tighe Memorial Bowls Day and next Friday’s NAIDOC Golf Tournament. Entries are flooding in for the NAIDOC Talent Quest, hosted by Thiyama-Li Family Violence Service, which also received $3000 in funding. Fairview Retirement Village were given $500 to provide celebrations for aged and frail residents who are unable to attend the community events.
To receive a full schedule of Moree’s NAIDOC week, visit the Dhiiyaan Centre or Miyay Birray.
“I think we probably have one of the biggest celebrations of NAIDOC in the whole region,” Darrel said.
