University celebrates NAIDOC

Southern Cross University is inviting community members of all ages to join in the fun at its NAIDOC celebrations at its Lismore and Gold Coast campuses.

The University ‘s Indigenous Events Coordinating Committee, which began celebrating NAIDOC with a range of events at the Coffs Harbour campus last week, is continuing activities to mark the annual occasion including live music and Indigenous cultural performances, arts and craft, workshops, art exhibitions and even face painting and a bouncy castle for the children.

Lismore campus will kick off activities with an official launch of NAIDOC week and the opening of an Indigenous art exhibition in the library on Monday, July 4. A bush tucker workshop will take place on Thursday, July 7 in the Indigenous garden, followed by the main Lismore campus celebrations on Friday, July 8 in the Plaza.

At the Gold Coast campus, NAIDOC celebrations will take place on Tuesday, July 5, and will feature a performance by local Indigenous Gold Coast band GuriGuru who specialise in storytelling through music, and female Indigenous duo the Stiff Gins who will be performing to promote their new album, Wind and Water and will also run a workshop on how to sing songs in Indigenous language. The Gold Coast campus library will also unveil an art exhibition featuring work from the Kallalu gallery in Coolangatta.

Both locations will feature Indigenous cultural performances and a hip hop performance topped off with a sausage sizzle to keep participants’ strength up.

Professor Adrian Miller, head of Southern Cross University’s Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples, said the theme of NAIDOC this year was ‘Change: the next step is ours’.

“NAIDOC is a great opportunity for Indigenous Australians to share their history and cultural values, and this year’s theme encourages everybody to take responsibility for helping create a better future for Indigenous people,” said Professor Miller.

“It’s a good time to highlight and reflect on particular important issues that are going on around the nation, such as the Northern Territory intervention and acknowledgement of country.

“Southern Cross University is taking a lead role in providing community activities to support this important annual event. We’re encouraging students, families and all members of the public to come along and join us in some of the many fun and informative activities we have happening across the Lismore and Gold Coast campuses in the coming week.”

NAIDOC celebrations will take place at the Gold Coast campus from 11am-3pm on Tuesday, July 5 at the Gold Coast campus, Southern Cross Drive, Bilinga.

In Lismore, the bush tucker workshop will take place on Thursday, July 7 from 11am in the Indigenous garden. NAIDOC events will be held in the Plaza at the Lismore campus on Friday, July 8 from 11-3pm.

For more information contact Gnibi on 02 6620 3955 or email Virginia.ingham@scu.edu.au

Photo: Professor Adrian Miller is lookiong forward to the NAIDOC celebrations at Southern Cross University (high resolution image available on request)