𝟱𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 | 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿
There was something really special about coming together for our rescheduled NAIDOC Community Luncheon, celebrating 𝟱𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗔𝗜𝗗𝗢𝗖 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 and the theme 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵, 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆.
Aunty Del opened our gathering with a beautiful Welcome to Country, before Brother Jerry shared culture through story and the didgeridoo, giving our students and guests the chance to listen, learn and experience something that has been carried through generations.
And what a gathering it was.
Our Elders, students and staff were joined by guests from other schools, our friends from Wongaburra, the Police Liaison team, community organisations and businesses including SHAPE Aus. Different ages, backgrounds and experiences, all coming together around the same tables.
Uncle Brad spoke about the importance of remembering that this is not about separating people or making waves. It is about walking together, respecting one another and, at the end of the day, simply being good people.
Aunty Celeste then took the microphone and stood firm in reminding our young people to carry their culture with pride. They are the future, but they stand on the shoulders of so many who came before them. And if you know Aunty, you will know there may have been a tear or two around the room.
Aunty Janis reminded us that we are all custodians of this earth and shared something that stayed with many of us. She knew she was 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝘂𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗹𝗶 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿.
Uncle Jock, one of our friends from Wongaburra, also took the opportunity to remind us that while we need to keep moving forward, 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 because thats where our story telling is. But not to remain stuck in it, but because there is so much for all of us to learn from where we come from.
Our Elders spoke openly about just how different things are today. There was a time, not so very long ago, when culture could not be celebrated so openly. To now sit together, share stories, food, laughter and pride is something worth recognising.
And behind the scenes, there was another pretty special story unfolding.
Our 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭𝟭 𝗛𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. That is real-world learning in every sense. Catering for a room full of guests is challenging enough, but when the menu includes crocodile, kangaroo and emu, there is nowhere to hide!
They stepped up beautifully and should be exceptionally proud of what they delivered.
And what a menu it was. 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗲, 𝗸𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗱, 𝗲𝗺𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆𝗿𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀, giving everyone another way to experience and celebrate Indigenous flavours.
That theme continued with a very special gift for our guests, thanks to𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗘 𝗔𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝗸𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. A beautiful selection of coated macadamias, grown right here in Beaudesert, included flavours not even on the market yet. A little local, a little exclusive, and a lovely way to make everyone feel just that little bit special.
A very special thank you also goes to our 𝗖𝗘𝗖, 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗻, who pulled this event together with class, calm and a great deal of persistence. Like most worthwhile events, there were plenty of challenges, changes and a fair bit of chaos along the way, but Cheyann kept it moving and made sure the day came together beautifully.
Because that was really what the day reminded us.
𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻, 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
Thank you to our Elders for sharing so generously from the heart, to our community guests and partners for joining us, to our Year 11 Hospitality students and Ms Grasmeder for an incredible job, and to Cheyann for bringing it all together.
𝟱𝟬 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵, 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲