This NAIDOC Week (3 – 10 July) we’re profiling some of our wonderful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders leaders on the North Coast. NAIDOC Week celebrations are held every year to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and its origins can be “traced back to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Australians.”- NAIDOC website.
Meet Gulwanyang
Gulwanyang is a proud Birrbay and Dhanggati woman of the Gathang speaking language group. She explained that she belongs to two strong bloodlines and works in many roles.
‘I belong to two very strong bloodlines represented by Makurr (australian bass) and Guula (koala),’ she said.
‘I work in many spaces: in community, I run our local language governance group, Djuyalgu Wakulda (to speak as one).
‘I’m active in language revitalisation, whether it’s supporting our Ngarrgan Mirriiyn (morning star) choir or reviving ceremonial practices with Birrbay women.’
Gulwanyang also speaks and teaches the Gathang language, online to learners that live off country as well. She believes everyone has a right to their language and hopes one day they move back to country and join the language army.
In her day-to-day work, Gulwanyang works for the New South Wales Department of Education.
‘In my 9 – 5 I support the delivery of Aboriginal languages into Early Childhood Education across the state and help lead our First Nations Children’s strategy, First Steps.
‘I am also a research assistant for two different Universities, working on language application projects. I’m proud of all the work I do in the languages space.’
Gulwanyang believes that NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
‘It’s an opportunity to showcase our cultures to the world.
‘As the oldest living culture on the planet, the languages and the cultures are intrinsically tied to the land here and should be valued and respected all year round.’
Of the theme ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’ she explained the language and the meaning, as well as what it represented for her – active, assertive and accountability.
‘Baaya! (Get up) – means to be active in your community, do the work.
‘Warrawa! (Stand up) – means to be assertive in that action and thinking beyond self.
‘Mara! (Show up) – is about accountability and how you show up for community, for country and kin.
‘I know I do this every day not just in a themed week. I hope whitefullas with regard to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocacy live this theme all year round too. It goes beyond the week and we shouldn’t need themes to encourage people to care and do something.’
In the future, Gulwanyang hopes for tangible and long-lasting change.
‘I know for my communities, we want tangible and long lasting change. While others are discussing feel good statements, the constitution and advisory voices, we are talking about land back campaigns and an investment in sustainable economic outcomes through cultural tourism and the bush foods industry for example.
‘This ‘something is better than nothing’ approach to outcomes that has seen incremental change at best, is over. It’s time for #landback. It’s time for real treaty efforts now.’
Find out more about NAIDOC Week or find an event near you here: www.naidoc.org.au .