It’s NAIDOC week and the theme Heal Country! calls for all of us to continue to “seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction”.
The South Sydney Herald offices are located on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation in Waterloo and Redfern, Sydney. We also acknowledge that, over the past 250 years, land inhabited by hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations for more than 60,000 years has been taken without their consent, treaty or compensation.
“To Heal Country,” as the NAIDOC website says, “we must properly work towards redressing historical injustice … and take stronger measures to recognise, protect and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage.”
A small step is for us to acknowledge whose traditional lands we live and work on.
Indigenous creative agency Campfire x has partnered with Facebook Australia and community organisations, the Brewarrina Local Aboriginal Land Council, Dubbo Local Aboriginal Land Council, Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council and La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council to launch “Connect to Country”.
It’s a project that is encouraging Australians to discover the Traditional Country beneath their feet.
The campaign video asks all Australians “Where You From?” and encourages them to discover more about their local First Nations communities, with resources available on the “Connect to Country” Facebook page. These resources include videos to learn how to acknowledge Country and tips for connecting with their local community and language groups.
Brad Cooke, Co-Founder of Campfire x, said: “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are too often negatively represented in media and online. By creating a space of respect and positivity via Connect to Country, more people will have the opportunity to find out the stories from the land they live and work on, and be better connected to history, culture, and also Indigenous organisations and businesses that are doing amazing things.”
_______________
See https://www.facebook.com/ConnecttoCountry/
