NAIDOC Day At Cannonvale State School

The whole school community enjoyed learning more about NAIDOC Day last week thanks to a full day program which saw children participate in activities hosted by two visiting indigenous educators and performers.

NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week takes place from 2-9 July, but Cannonvale State School opted to mark the occasion on the last day of their school term instead.

The day celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and is commemorated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians all over the country and overseas.

School teacher, Jo Morgan who has spent 20 years working with indigenous people in the Northern Territory , organised Cannonvale State School’s NAIDOC day which was fun, exciting and educational for all involved.

Respected songman and artist from the Thuppi Warra clan and a Traditional Owner from Ngaro and Gia People of the Whitsundays, Harold Bowen was one of two educators on the day.

Harold has achieved many things in his time, a long-standing director on the board of Indigenous Art Centre Alliance (IACA) his painting Yirrumbul painting won the established artist art award at the Laura Dance Festival 2021.

The second person was Adrian Thomas, a South Sea Island, Polynesian, Chinese and Irish man who has spent the last 10 years working with Indigenous Young People, five of those being in Community.

Adrian has recorded music with some of the best Indigenous artists in Australia, he has supported Missy Higgins and Dan Sultan, has music that is played throughout Australia Radio and has also toured Internationally.

On the day, the entire student body was split into groups of 150 children across all year levels to resemble an indigenous family configuration.

The groups then rotated across different activities which included stories, song, dance and music, for a truly immersive experience.

They made dancing belts, which is a traditional belt worn in a ceremony in Arnhem Land.

They also participated in a yarning circle, where they used something similar to a talking stick, to take it in turns to speak on a topical subject – making sure that everyone was heard and respected.

“Kids can often be poor at listening and disrespectful to each other,” said Ms Morgan.

“So, the yarning circle is the perfect tool for helping them and the kids love the fact that this is something that the Indigenous people have brought into our realm now.”

Yarning circle topics included: “let’s yarn about the older people in your life, who are they and why are they important to you”.

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Harold Bowen, Adrian Thomas, Leo Jiggins Cannonvale State School’s Indigenous Leader and Principal Angie Kelly.

School teacher, Jo Morgan, organised NAIDOC Day at Cannonvale State

School students introduced the Indigenous representatives

Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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