Minister Barr: NAIDOC Week begins with Flag Raising Ceremony
- Written by ACT Government
Released 07/07/2015
Today I joined Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Yvette Berry to host a special flag raising ceremony to mark the start of NAIDOC Week 2015.
This Flag Raising Ceremony is an acknowledgement by the ACT Government of the importance of NAIDOC Week, which this year runs from 5 – 12 July 2015.
This year’s theme is We all Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate. Minister Berry has described the theme as a call for us all to respect the sacred significance of land upon which we all stand.
Minister Berry said: “This theme captures the importance of spiritual and cultural connections to land and sea for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, and provides an opportunity to honour those who’ve fought to protect and restore these connections.
“In Canberra we are fortunate to have a range of sites of significance. Canberra has more than 3,500 known Aboriginal heritage sites which indicate the extensive occupation and evidence that Aboriginal people have lived in the Canberra region for at least 25,000 years.”
Many Aboriginal heritage sites have been discovered as a result of archaeological and heritage surveys and information provided by members of the local Aboriginal community.
We’re lucky to have such important sites right on our back door and one of the most special is the rock art site at Yankee Hat in Namadgi National Park. The paintings at Yankee Hat are well preserved and contain the first prehistoric drawings identified in the ACT.
NAIDOC week is an opportunity for us all to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievement and to recognise the enormous contribution that Indigenous Australians make to our community and our country.
For further information on NAIDOC week, and events in your area visit www.naidoc.org.au
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
