NAIDOC Week 2022 Celebrations

NAIDOC Week 2022 may be over – but our intentions to co-create the future shouldn't just begin or stop during any events. We should all continue to foster genuine relationships with one another and celebrate First Nations excellence throughout the year.

We are a proud nation, and for us to continue to be proud of this continent we are on, we must face and confront our past and present. Doing so is not going to be an easy task, it can be uncomfortable at times and painful. It is however, necessary.

Currie Country's NAIDOC Week 2022 proved that with openness, a vision, and bright, positive energies from all those involved, we can conduct events that champion Indigenous voices, food, culture and more. Non-Indigenous Australians have to also be open at receiving ancient knowledge and wisdom, and meet them with respect.

We had two major public events and one private event.

Sunday 3, July

The first public event to start off NAIDOC Week invited the community to join in a Community and Family Event Day on Sunday, 3 July, 2022 down at Seagulls Club, West Tweed (who also had delicious native food ingredients included in their special luxe menu during NAIDOC Week courtesy of Currie Country).

It was a day filled with little jarjums learning language, knowledge and the community coming together through beautiful food. There was a weaving session lead by Currie Country Education Leader Tyarna, in which anyone of any age could participate in making their own woven pieces.

On this day, Currie Country also officially launched "First Nations Talk" Radio Show on Memphis Mayhem Community Radio Station. First Nations Talk is a Sunday Morning (from 8AM AEST) Radio Program that you can tune into wherever you may be in the world.

The day was filled with conversations and happy faces.

We are always open to collaborating with other organisations in the Tweed Region or beyond to create meaningful events with us. Thank you Seagulls, for collaborating during NAIDOC with Currie Country.

Check out Seagulls Club here

Check out Memphis Mayhem Community Radio Station here

Friday 8, July

Our private NAIDOC event is with Lendlease. Lendlease "is a globally integrated real estate and investment group with core expertise in shaping cities and creating strong and connected communities... We create award-winning urban precincts, new communities for older people and young families just starting out, retail precincts, and work places to the highest sustainability standards. We are also privileged to create essential civic and social infrastructure including state-of-the-art hospitals, universities and stadiums around the world." (Lendlease "About Us" website)

Lendlease is currently handling the brand new Tweed Valley Hospital, which is being constructed in Kingscliff.

Through Currie Country, contractors, employers, managers etc. of the Tweed Valley Hospital project were introduced to native food, language, history, family and on the culmination of the week on Friday, 8 July, they were treated to a luxe food event filled with gorgeous native food inspired meals (including the sought after lemon myrtle damper made in collaboration with Bread Social) and they were able to choose from a variety of curries made by the community for community. Beef curry, Thai chicken, Massaman curry, seafood – you name it, it was there.

A native food and plants stall was also set up, where one could find out more about vegetation that is native to the area and how they can plant these in their very own backyard. Currie Country also encouraged everyone to integrate native ingredients in daily meals.

Over lunch, everyone was able to have conversations and spend some time grounding themselves surrounded by the greenery. A Welcome To The Country was made by Currie Country family member, Rory, who spoke proudly to the 400+ audience about the significance of the land, the people, our shared histories and to reflect on the area as they continue to build the new hospital on ancestral lands. Currie Country's Arabella Douglas also spoke about the event, the food they were presented and introduced the families of the area, including South Sea Islander Communities and their deep ties with Aboriginal families. This was then followed by a smoking ceremony.

We would like to thank all the family and community members responsible for making this Lendlease NAIDOC Event a truly successful one. From the bottom of our hearts, we appreciate your time and effort for creating and sharing your food with the wider community.

Sunday 10, July

Our Community and Family Floatilla Day was the perfect event to cap off NAIDOC Week.

In partnership with our longstanding collaborator Tweed Eco Cruises, community and family members as well as visitors to the area, flocked down the Tweed Marina to join us on board our vessel for a day of beautiful, gorgeous food, warm conversations and insightful information on the area.

We started off with greetings whilst the vessel is being filled by the crowd and prepared to cruise. People found their spot to base themselves through the journey and the vessel was quickly filled to capacity.

Upon entering, the little ones were given NAIDOC Colouring In Sheets to take home with them, whilst the adults could grab themselves something from the bar, manned by the birthday boy himself, Eric, of Tweed Eco Cruises.

We had delicious food to share with one another. Young and old, everyone had something to bite.

Slow braised beef curry was a crowd pleaser and local Tweed food joint Bay St. Takeaway's Thai Chicken Curry was enjoyed by all. There were plenty of finger foods to munch on, from fresh fruits, to spring rolls, and Ube bread. It was a true community cook out.

We were treated to a day of sunshine and calm, clear waters. It was a stunning day and the sun really showed off.

Our hearts are full with all of the outpouring support and love from the local family and community. Thank you to all those who have joined us for Currie Country NAIDOC Week 2022. All events were sweet successes and true testaments of the progression and openness we have as a society. In person or over the online world, we appreciate and feel your warmth and love.

We are so happy to have a supported, dedicated community who want to co-create the future with us. We welcome you at our next event, and don't hesitate to email us if you have any vision of collaboration you have with Currie Country.

Take care!