NAIDOC Week 2021 - “Heal Country, heal our nation”

“Heal Country, heal our nation”

Many Mobs Cultural Connections Group together with Yarrawonga Health is celebrating NAIDOC week from the 4^th July to the 11^th July this year.  

Each year Yarrawonga Health together with Many Mobs traditionally partner with local primary schools, pre-schools and the community to walk from Miss Ross Hill in Mulwala to Yarrawonga Health with a formal celebration and acknowledgement of NAIDOC week on the lawn at the Health Hub.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the walk & large gathering celebration has again been postponed, and Yarrawonga Health is partnering with Many Mobs in an online celebration called Healing Hands.

Many Mobs is encouraging the community to celebrate together by taking a picture of their own hand or a drawing or painting of a unique handprint and tagging the Many Mobs Social Media page with the #ManyMobshealinghands. This activity was chosen by Many Mobs as a way to connect with this year’s NAIDOC week theme Heal Country, heal our nation.

This year’s theme for NAIDOC week, is “Heal Country, heal our nation”. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - Country is inherent to identity, it sustains lives in every aspect - spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally. It is more than a place. When Country is talked about it is spoken of like a person. Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples it has been this way since the dawn of time.  Through languages and songs, we speak to Country; through ceremonies and traditions we sing to - and celebrate Country – and Country speak to us.

For generations Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been calling for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of our culture and heritage for all Australians. Healing Country means hearing those pleas to provide greater management, involvement, and empowerment by Indigenous peoples over country. Healing Country means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage. That the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders are respected equally to and the cultures and values of all Australians.

Yarrawonga Health is proud to stand together with Many Mobs Cultural Connections group, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the community to celebrate together and advocate for acknowledgement, protection and recognition.  We embrace and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, communities, Nations and and heritage.