This year P1A took NAIDOC to Pickwick Group’s head office in Brisbane, Aunty Christine Barney P1A Elder and Director conducted the Acknowledgment of Country and spoke about how NAIDOC was formed and why it was formed. Leanne Phillips P1A Director followed by singing Gari Gynda Narmi the welcome song. Leanne spoke about the meaning of the dance and the song, she also spoke about this year’s NAIDOC theme Healing Country and what that means to her, saying that “healing the spirit of the person happens when they are connected to Country and in being connected to Country the healed spirit will work with Country not against it,” finishing with “we can Heal Country by first healing the relationships we have in our workspace and our relationship with ourself, this in turn will connect us all to Country because we are all connected through the energy of creation, this will signify a starting point to Healing Country.”
Leanne provided a taste of bush tucker for morning tea with delicious lemon myrtle cupcakes and native basil, Tasmanian pepper berry and bush tomato savoury muffins which were a hit with everyone. Aunty Christine and Leanne extended the offer for all staff to contact them if they would like to have a yarn, Rob Clark P1A Manager and a few P1A employees also attended.
NAIDOC is about the education of Migrant peoples to understand the First Peoples of the countries on which they work, rest and play, to know they are sacred and need to be respected along with the traditional custodians of these many countries. Before Captain Cook there were around 600 countries on this continent all speaking different languages, having diverse cultural nuances and belief systems, we operated from a place of Lore connected to country through Lore, we continue to be connected in this same way today because our songlines and our country knows us and calls us to her for healing.
This year NAIDOC is about Healing Country a time for giving back, we thank you for joining us and sharing in our journey to Healing Country, healing the spirit, heals connection, which Heals Country.
Learn more about the significance of NAIDOC from www.naidoc.org.au.