Students from the public primary schools and the preschools across the Gloucester region joined together for a NAIDOC celebration.
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Gloucester Public School welcomed students from Barrington, Stratford and Stroud Road schools, as well as Barrington Street and Gloucester preschools to its NAIDOC Day event on Wednesday, June 26.
As the officially NAIDOC Week takes place from July 7-14, during the school holidays, GPS got a jump on the celebrations inviting the Koomurri Foundation performers to host a day-long event.
After all the students were seated in the school hall, the Aboriginal performers began with a smoking ceremony which included traditional dance and song. The significance of the smoking ceremony, which was all about clearing out bad spirits to make room for the good ones, was explained to the students.
There was a bit more dancing to the beat of clap sticks and the rhythm of the didgeridoo, as the performers highlighted important part of their culture, including sharing some of their language. The students were then broken up into three groups for a cycle of activities.
Some went to the library to learn about different artefacts, weapons and hunting methods employed by some indigenous tribes. Others went to a classroom to learn some traditional dance moves. In the dance session, students learned what was referred to as freestyle dance, where they were taught to mimic an emu and a kangaroo. The third activity was face painting and Aboriginal art, where students could opt for traditional face markings and have paint sprayed over their hands on a massive decorative collage.
After lunch the students returned to the hall for a farewell assembly and a final performance by the Koomurri Foundation.
Did you know?
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920s which sought to increase awareness of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Celebrations are held not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
