2015

What does NAIDOC stand for?

National Aborigines

and Islanders

Day Observance Committee

Why do we celebrate NAIDOC?

It’s a celebration of

Aboriginal culture!

It’s an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the rich cultural history that

makes Australia unique.

What does the committee do?

One of their jobs is to help us celebrate our Aboriginal culture!

Not just for a day, but a whole week. Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important

issues and events for NAIDOC Week.

This year the theme highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ strong spiritual and cultural connection to land and sea.

The theme is an opportunity to pay respects to country• To honour those who work tirelessly on preserving

land, sea, and culture

• to share the stories of many sites of significance or sacred places

Our Aboriginal culture is one of the oldest on the planet; the living culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is intrinsically linked with these sacred places.

Sacred places are geographic features • a river, lake, or beach• hills or a mountain ranges• ceremonial grounds• galleries of rock art or engravings

These sacred places have traditional names - names that now reflect the timeless relationship between the people and the land. Often sacred places are connected with Dreaming stories or tell of the meaning of an area.

Pondee is the Awabakal word for the place on Lake Macquarie where Toronto is situated. This is why our students thought it would be a great name to identify who they are.

Dreaming StoriesAboriginal stories help to: • warn

them about dangers

• explain relationships and identity

• teach them about the law and right behaviour

• teach young people about natural events

The Awabakal had their own Dreaming stories to• teach young people about

natural events

• warn them about dangers

• explain relationships and identity

• teach them about the law and right behaviour

Awabakal Dreaming Stories

The Awabakal territory starts in Stockton and runs down the coast to Wyong and out to the coalfields and Watagan Mountains.

The country is diverse and provided an abundace of food.

The Awabakal are the Eaglehawk clan so the Eaglehawk is their totem and they cannot hunt or eat it.

Awabakal Dreaming Stories

Toronto

Stockton

Wyong

Watagan Mountains

Awabakal Dreaming Stories

When the Moon CriedBelmont Lagoon is another important Dreaming site of the Awabakal.

This belief relates to the Creation era when the Moon was a man spirit who never shone a full face. At the same time the Sun, a female spirit, when seen, was always a full face. Thus the Goori people appeared to be active in the day, but not so in the night. One night when the moon was feeling lonely he thought of this, and reasoned that his people didn’t care as much for him as they did for the sun. This made him sad. He decided to go away and leave his people to enjoy only the sun. As he went higher and higher into the sky, he became sadder and sadder. After a long time his sadness built up to such a point that he began to cry.

He cried and he cried. His tears fell back down to mother Earth and formed Belmont Lagoon. When finally he stopped crying he began to think again about his people. Perhaps he had been too quick to think that they didn’t care? Perhaps they were already missing him?

He decided to return. As he got closer to Mother Earth he could hear all the Goori people rejoicing. They were happy that a freshwater lagoon had been formed because they knew it would lead to increased supplies of plants, fish and animals for food. It would also provide an extra place for swimming.Their happiness made him feel good. So as he got closer he looked down. He could see his reflection in the water and his happiness made his face beam. For the first time he presented a full face. This enabled his people to celebrate further and from that night onwards his full face was a time of celebration.

Awabakal Dreaming Stories

'teardrop of the moon'

How we celebrated NAIDOC Week

at TPS?

NAIDOC Week 2015