ADC’s Aboriginal Liaison Officer Steve Widders welcomed the crowd, as did the Mayor Cr Peter Ducat. Students Jermaine Vale and Maylian Hippi raised the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags with the Mayor, before Carolyn Briggs of Minimbah Primary School introduced a highlight of the morning — performances by the school’s students who sang, played instruments and role-played the original four young men who started the Tent Embassy. Jermaine Vale represented Michael Anderson; James Boland represented Bertie Williams; Tui Vakalolma represented Billy Craigie; and Jamie Briggs represented Tony Coorey. Loraini Raratabu also read on behalf of Daphne Ahoy.
Minimbah Primary School’s ukulele group “Minimbah Magic” (aka “M & M’s”) delighted the crowd with a few songs, thanks to the support of Cathy Welsford, Jess Stocker and Black Dot Music.
Mr Widders says that NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for Australia to acknowledge and appreciate Australian Aboriginal history and culture. This year’s theme: “Spirit of the Tent Embassy 40 Years On” acknowledges the establishment of the Tent Embassy on the lawn of old Parliament House in 1972. Mr Widders explains the important role this embassy has had in Australian history.
“It was the Tent Embassy which helped bring great social changes for the Aboriginal community, including improved housing, education and employment opportunities, improvements in the status of health, and the establishment of legal and medical services.
“It was in 1972, with the election of the Whitlam Government, that the voice of the Tent Embassy in Canberra received national recognition and the plight of Aboriginal Australia was addressed,” Mr Widders said.
In the rest of Armidale, NAIDOC was observed at the University of New England (UNE) on Monday, July 2 at Booliminbah. The week also included a Mr and Ms NAIDOC Dinner, an event which promoted and encouraged the positive qualities and attributes of local Aboriginal youth, at Armidale City Bowling Club on Friday, July 6.
