La Trobe University Hockey Club proudly celebrated National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) round on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July.
National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme was Keep the fire burning! Black, loud and proud which honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
How we celebrated NAIDOC
The round was a great success. Highlights from the weekend included:
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Education information regarding NAIDOC, NAIDOC events, acknowledgment of country and Woiwurring words.
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Wearing our NAIDOC singlets that were designed by our very own, Jaynaya Winmar. Jay’s original artwork was painted on canvas in 2023. In her design, the large circle represents the hockey community, the small circle represents the La Trobe University Hockey Club community with the 320 dark dots representing each player of the club and the five travel lines representing the five decades of the club.
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NAIDOC medals for best on ground.
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An Indigenous pizza night which included kangaroo and crocodile pizza and damper with delicious jams.
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New Wurundjeri banners for the ground and Wurundjeri land pet bandanas for our furry friends.
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Before starting all games for NAIDOC round, we shared the following Acknowledgement of Country:
Before we start the game today, I would like to acknowledge the proud Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, who are the traditional custodians of this unceded land. We are grateful for their custodianship over 10s of 1000s of years and share a strong love for this bit of their country. I would like to pay my respects to Elders past & present and extend that to any First Nations people playing or spectating today.
Thank you to everyone who helped back the round a huge success and everyone who celebrated with us!
Always was, Always will be!