NAIDOC WEEK

Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (15:24): I rise today to speak about the NAIDOC Week celebrations in the Riverland. Before I do that, I want to acknowledge and pay respect to the Kaurna people, the traditional owners of the land. Across the week of celebration up in the Riverland, there were many celebrations. It really did bring the Indigenous community together, and it gave them a sense of worth about what they are achieving up in the Riverland but, more importantly, what they are achieving for themselves.

NAIDOC was initiated back in 1938, and it was really a national day of mourning. It was a protest in Sydney, but it was not just a protest: it really was a day of celebration. Obviously we have been celebrating the 40^th anniversary of that Tent Embassy, and bringing those celebrations to the Riverland during NAIDOC Week really showed all of the Riverland communities that the Indigenous community have taken a huge step forward. It really shows their worth, not only in the Riverland but in general.

I acknowledge the chair of the NAIDOC committee and their efforts. Suzanne Stennett is the chair and she did some amazing work to bring the groups together, with the support of the councils and the police. Another partner they have embraced is Country Arts SA. In doing that, it also embraced all the small community support groups and charities. I will name a few of them around the region. They had a large church service at the Gerard community and the Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club came along for the day and gave all the local people, particularly the Indigenous children, rides on their Harleys. There was a stream of Harleys with Indigenous passengers on them which was quite a sight to see.

Also, they had the annual Gerard fishing competition and the elders' lunch at Gerard. Some of you might not know in this house, but since we have had our high river we have significant amounts of fish being caught up in the Riverland, particularly catfish which are a protected species. To complement the catfish that are thrown back, many callop which are a very good table fish are being caught, and of course the dreaded diseased carp.

I attended an official opening in Berri on the Monday where more than 100 people attended the march. I also visited the Naltaruwe exhibition in Berri at the Berri Art Gallery, featuring work by local Indigenous artists. It seems to be that the local community are exploring their talents; their talents were put on display and were well worth a visit to the gallery.

Some of the other events during the week were the Black Screen event at the Chaffey Theatre in Renmark, featuring many Indigenous short films. There was also the children's event at the Renmark Community Centre. Also, we had the men's activity at Kungun Centre at Glossop which is a very renowned Indigenous gathering centre and also a native food-growing centre. That was a great day. Also, we had the community day at the Kungun Centre and the young women's leadership program. It is great to see these programs where young Indigenous women explore what is on offer and understand exactly what they can achieve. I attended the Cafe Conversations event at the Berri Resort Hotel, exploring new pathways for Indigenous youth in the Riverland.

I would like to announce the NAIDOC Week award winners from the Riverland. The Elders of the Year are Rex Wilson and Yvonne Koolmatrie; Community Members of the Year are Sheryl Giles and Mark Upkett; and Youth of the Year are Andrew Summer and Kimberley Turner. They are very much deserved awards. All in all, I commend the Riverland NAIDOC Committee for a great week of celebration.