NAIDOC Week 2024 has been acknowledged across our LGA with a flag-raising ceremony and morning tea held at the Lithgow Council Chambers on Monday morning. The flag raising event was held to honour and pay respects to the Wiradjuri Nation, the original custodians of the land on which the Lithgow community resides, and to extend respect to their neighbouring nations.
Mayor Maree Statham said, "I enjoyed speaking with attendees about what NAIDOC Week means for them and hearing about the work they do in our community with First Nations community members and the wider community."
The Lithgow Library also hosted a NAIDOC story time on Wednesday morning funded and organised by Lithgow and district Wiradjuri Corporation, Barrinang, which saw Aunty Ruth Davys, a Wiradjuri woman and storyteller from Albury, read story books by First Nations authors. There was also a performance from members of the Barrinang Dance Company who did three dances including, galinbalganbagang (dragon fly), ngalamarra (fishing), giralang bundinya (shooting star) dances.
Members of the Lithgow Beehive Group had a display of wool felt art depicting the flora and fauna from the local area with a focus on the Hassan's Walls Reserve displayed as part of the NAIDOC Week Storytime.
These NAIDOC celebrations also included the reveal and display of "Loud and Proud," a collaborative mural project featuring an acrylic artwork, painted by local students facilitated by Wiradjuri artists; Brett Groves from Bilingarra and Jessica Leffley from Bird Girl Creations. This project addresses the need for expressive spaces within the community for youth emphasising the importance of nature, mentorship, and respecting young people's perspectives.
Aligned with the objectives of Family Fun Day, Youth Week, and NAIDOC Week, the artworks aim to showcase community, connection, and the importance of storytelling in preserving cultural traditions for future generations The creative process resembles a communal storytelling session around a campfire, depicted as integral to the project's essence, paralleling the significance of the final artwork itself.
This year's NAIDOC Week theme, "Blak, Loud and Proud," reflects a powerful commitment to amplifying the voices of First Nation peoples and celebrating their unyielding spirit. The theme highlights the resilience and vitality of our First Nations cultures, symbolised by the enduring fire that connects communities to the land, to each other, and to their traditions.
