As part of our Catholic Community of schools, Powaikaliko Malang, students from St Patrick’s Primary School, Swansea, and St Pius X Primary School, Windale joined their peers at St Francis Xavier Primary School, Belmont to celebrate NAIDOC Week.
The celebration honoured the local Awabakal Country, and aligned with the 2025 NAIDOC theme: The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.
The day began with a meaningful Morning Ceremony, led by Danielle Shaw, alongside Stephanie Phoenix—a proud Wonnarua woman and descendant of the Gringai clan—and Mauri Perry, a proud Worimi man.
The ceremony featured an Acknowledgement of Country in language, a traditional smoking ceremony, and a traditional dance display, in which our school’s Aboriginal students proudly participated.
Following this, students rotated through a series of immersive workshops led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators:
- ‘‘Traditional Dance interwoven with Hip Hop’ workshop led by Hilary McEntyre, a proud Worimi woman and owner of the local business, ‘Dreamtime Dance Company’. As part of this year’s NAIDOC theme and in honouring how traditional practices and knowledges have evolved to ‘speak’ to and be relatable to future generations. Students learnt traditional dance movements with a hip hop ‘spin’.
- ‘Local Bush Tucker Tasting’ workshop led by Stephanie Phoenix. Students explored how integral emu eggs were as part of the local traditional diet of various Aboriginal nations. They also learnt how important astronomical knowledge of ‘the emu in the sky’ was to inform emu breeding and times eggs can be harvested. Students watched as an emu egg was cracked and cooked by Stephanie, and they also had opportunity to taste emu egg.
- ‘Aboriginal Culture Through Digital Music’ workshop led by Kaleb Green, a proud Worimi man and music producer. Students experimented with traditional instruments from various Aboriginal nations as well as sounds from local nature. As part of this year’s NAIDOC theme and in honouring how traditional practices and knowledges have evolved to ‘speak’ to and be relatable to future generations, students explored these using modern digital technologies.
- ‘Connecting with Message Sticks’ workshop led by Liz Walker, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isander teacher from St Patrick’s Swansea as well as Danielle Barry. Students explored the use and significance of message sticks and how they linked hundreds of Aboriginal nations across the continent. Students explored symbols that originate from Papunya nation in the central desert region and used these to create their own wooden message stick. In commemoration of the day, each class will receive a message stick mobile display made from student’s creations.
- ‘War Cry and Clearing Dance’ workshop led by Mauri Perry and Georgia Kirkland, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teacher from St Pius X Windale. Students learnt about the significance and intimidation tactics of a war cry as part of men’s business. They also learnt how a clearing dance may be used to cleanse a space as part of women’s business. Male students then learnt and performed a war cry dance and female students learnt and performed a clearing dance.
- ‘Cool Coolamons’ workshop led by proud Awabakal woman, Kirsty Keelan. Students learnt about coolamons and how such a simple object, expertly made has so many different uses and continues to hold such cultural significance for many Aboriginal communities today. Students then used air-dry clay to make their own coolamons.
The celebration concluded with a Closing Ceremony, bringing opportunity to reflect on the experiences from the day. All male students from across the three schools performed the War Cry dance together. All female students from across the three schools performed the clearing dance together. All students and teachers than sang ‘Heads Shoulders Kness and Toes’ in Awabakal language.
Overall, the celebration was a rich and meaningful way to connect with and celebrate First Nations cultures and empower the next generation of learners.
