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2014 NAIDOC host city Gold Coast receive message stick
Anne Martin, national NAIDOC Co-Chair, Aunty Joyce Summers GC NAIDOC Chair, Stephen Hagan national NAIDOC committee member, Anita-Lee Summers and Linda Biumaiwai GC NAIDOC committee members with the special NAIDOC Message Stick. Image: Rhonda Hagan
by Stephen Hagan 9 September 2013
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Every year I hear the famous one-liner of ‘best NAIDOC Ball ever’ from host cities and I expect next year in beautiful Gold Coast will be no different,” said Anne Martin, national Co-Chair NAIDOC at the Gold Coast NAIDOC Blackout Family Fun Day on Saturday. A crowd of several hundred locals listened attentively as Aunty Jackie McDonald gave the Welcome to Country address, explaining the venue, Tugun Park on Coolangatta Road, “was an important meeting place for Yugembah people before
whitefellas discovered the beauty of our country and developed it”. “I welcome Anne, our distinguished guests, Elders and family members to this special cultural day and ask that you walk softly and proudly on our land,” Aunty Jackie said. Anne Martin thanked Aunty Jackie for her Welcome to Country and the local NAIDOC committee for “a warm, friendly welcome” to their family day and presented the NAIDOC Message Stick to Aunty Joyce Summers, Gold Coast NAIDOC Chairperson. Aunty Joyce invited fellow NAIDOC committee member Anita-Lee Summers, Communication Coordinator and Yugembah traditional owner
and committee member Linda Biumaiwai to come forward and accept the message stick on “behalf of the committee and the community of the Gold Coast”. Anita-Lee explained the lateness of their Gold Coast NAIDOC Blackout Family Fun Day was due to the competing events in and around south-east Queensland during the traditional NAIDOC week celebrations. “It’s good that our mob can travel up to Brisbane for the Musgrave Park big NAIDOC family day and go to other NAIDOC events around the same time and then they can be free to enjoy the activities we put on for them on the first weekend in September,” Anita said. As a domestic flight from the
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nearby international airport passed directly overhead punctuating the vibrant and pulsating sounds of the didjeridoo played by renowned Aboriginal artist Graham Blanco for his Yugembah dancers, the crowd, young and old, watched in awe at their high-energy performance. The range of cultural events, including Deadly Choices crew from Brisbane -sharing health information, games and dances through their marque displays and events for the family - jumping castles, Torres Strait Island dancers and a free cultural feast for everyone made for a wonderful day that was not missed by the national NAIDOC Co-Chair. “I feel truly blessed to be in this beautiful part of the world sharing your wonderful hospitality,” Anne said to the crowd as she cut the
NAIDOC cake for them to share. One of the highlights for the locals was having their photographs taken holding the NAIDOC Message Stick. “The locals knew Gold Coast was the host city for NAIDOC next year but now there is this air of expectation after seeing the
Message Stick and hearing from Anne,” Anita-Lee said. “To also have Councillor Chris Robbins from the Gold Coast City Council with us today representing the Mayor and committing to supporting us hosting NAIDOC next year also adds to our excitement,” she said.
Torres Strait Islander dancers. Image: Rhonda Hagan
Yugembah dancers entertain the crowd with their high energy performance at the Gold Coast NAIDOC Blackout Family Fun Day on Saturday. Image: Rhonda Hagan
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