The Department of Education has kicked off its NAIDOC Week celebrations with a live-streamed opening ceremony last Monday (9 November).
Secretary of the Department, Mark Scott said the Week, being held from 8 to 15 November, was an opportunity to recognise the contributions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to the country and to society.
“All Australians should celebrate that we have the world’s oldest stories and that our First People engraved the world’s first maps, made the first and earliest paintings of ceremonies and invented unique technologies and built and engineered structures that pre-date the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge,” Mr Scott said.
He said the Department’s official events for the week included a livestream interview with Benson Igua Saulo, a Wemba Wemba, Jardwadjali, Weregia and Gunditjmara man, who is to be Australia’s first Indigenous consul-general appointed to the United States.
“The Tamworth man will be interviewed by students from his former school Peel High School and Tamworth High School,” the Secretary said.
“On Thursday Uncle Michael Jarrett will deliver a Gumbaynggirr language lesson virtually,” he said.
Mr Scott said award-winning musician Archie Roach would perform with students from Woronora River, Prestons and Leichhardt public schools and Northern Beaches Secondary School and Evans High School to close the NAIDOC Week celebrations.
