Lumen Christi College’s Aboriginal Liaison Officer, Sonya Stephen, and Aboriginal Teaching Assistant, Amanda Winmar, spent many weeks planning for and creating a program of events and activities that truly celebrates our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. “It is important for us to celebrate NAIDOC Week at the College because it is an opportunity to bring a sense of identity, belonging and awareness to our history and to share some of our culture and understanding with our students and staff,” they said.

The College commenced their NAIDOC Week celebrations with a whole school assembly. A smoking ceremony took place as students walked into the Assembly, before Lumen Christi College’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students processed into the assembly led by Local Aboriginal Elder, Len Collard. Len then performed a Welcome to Country, accompanied by his daughter and Lumen Christi College parent, Ingrid, who is a Nyungar Cultural Advisor at Curtin University with a long career in community engagement and cultural studies. The College prayer was read in Noongar language, followed by an Aboriginal dance performance by the Wadumbah Dance Group. The College was then treated to a musical performance by accomplished Aboriginal artist, Phillip Walley Stack, who called upon Year 12 student, Brandon, to join him in playing the didgeridoo. Fellow Year 12 student, Bobby concluded the assembly with a reflection on his own Aboriginal heritage and words of encouragement for the future of reconciliation in Australia.

NAIDOC activities continued throughout the week, with a basketball workshop led by BINAR Sports, a bushtucker cooking experience and a sausage sizzle fundraiser with proceeds going to disadvantaged aboriginal students living in remote WA communities.