NAIDOC Week 2024

Kaya from the Alf team!

This week, to mark NAIDOC Week, we have been celebrating and learning more about the land we live, work, and play on.

The Alf HQ is located on Walyalup land, known today as Fremantle in Western Australia.

The Whadjuk people of the Nyoongar Nation are the traditional owners of Walyalup. To the Whadjuk people, Walyalup is a place of ceremonies, trading, and significant cultural practices. 

We acknowledge the Whadjuk people as the traditional owners of the land on which we work and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future.

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2024 is "Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud."

The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

From my own personal experience, as part of our personal inter-generational education, Luke and I are really passionate about we ensuring our children Ari and Otis have access to stories about the Aboriginal culture which is significant to the place we live. This week we have been reading "Noorn" a Noongar story written in both the language of the First People of the Western Australian south coast. It tells the story of alliances between humans and other living creatures, in this case a snake. It told of how protective relationships can be nurtured by care and respect. 

Ari and Otis loved the story and recounted how they thought it was really important to take care of animals, because you never know when you will need them to take care of you. 

Ari picked up immediately that Noorn is Noongar for snake and loved the translations of the story from Noongar to English.

Noorn is an old story retold by Kim Scott, Ryan Brown and the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project and is beautifully illustrated by Alta Winmar 

There is a lovely series of these stories available from www.wirlomin.com.au.

Learn more about NAIDOC Week at naidoc.org.au

For those with older children, there are some resources and colouring pages available for download, alongside teaching and learning resources for children.