|
Item 8.2 - Attachment 1 |
Renewal of the NAIDOC Celebrations and Events,
September 2011 |
REPORT
on the
RENEWAL OF THE
NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS AND EVENTS
September 2011
Contents
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
CONSULTATION PROCESS
KEY ISSUES FOR CONSIDERATION
2011 NAIDOC WEEK CELEBRATIONS. 8
NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
IDENTIFYING THE PREFERRED FUTURE DIRECTION FOR NAIDOC
CELEBRATIONS
IMPROVED PLANNING AND COORDINATION OF NAIDOC
ACTIVITIES
SUMMARY
RECOMMENDATIONS
Parramatta City Council undertook a review
to consider how NAIDOC events can better be delivered in the future. The review
involved:
· Working with the members of the ATSI Committee and the NAIDOC Planning Sub-Committee
so that they have input at various stages in the process and maintain ownership
of the planning and change process for the renewal of the NAIDOC celebrations
· Consulting with the relevant stakeholders to clarify what is valued in
current celebrations, identify any opportunities for improvement and/or change
and seek ideas and input
· Researching other NAIDOC and related celebrations
This report includes commentary on the current events
and feedback from the consultation process. It also addresses a number of
relevant issues that need to be taken into consideration and provides a series
of recommendations based on identified opportunities for the future that will
deliver better outcomes to the ATSI residents, Parramatta City Council and the
broader Parramatta community.
NAIDOC Week Celebrations at Parramatta
While
the origins of NAIDOC can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in
the 1920s, today it is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
cultures and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Indigenous
Australians in various fields. These NAIDOC week celebrations are held across
Australia each July. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities,
but by Australians from all walks of life.[1]
Burramatta Family Day is the major NAIDOC celebration provided by
Parramatta City Council. Burramatta Family Day has been celebrated for seven
years and for the past three years has been held in Prince Alfred Park and
before that in Parramatta Park.
Role of the NAIDOC Planning Committee
The Aboriginal & Torres Strait
Islander (ATSI) Advisory Committee has as a sub-committee the NAIDOC Planning
Sub-Committee. As with all Council’s advisory committees the role of the ATSI
Advisory Committee is ‘to provide advice, input and give feedback “to Council.
They are not decisions making bodies. A
specific role of the ATSI Advisory Committee is to:
2.6 To work with Council to
develop and promote appropriate celebrations of the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander culture including Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week.
The contribution of the ATSI Advisory
Committee and the Sub-Committee in relation to NAIDOC week celebrations and in
particular the Burramatta Family Day is valued and the members should be
commended for their efforts.
In working with council to develop and
promote appropriate celebrations the
Advisory Committee needs to play a more strategic role leaving the
operational activities to the council officers. Council can assist in this
process by clarifying with the Committee the areas where their input will be
most valuable.
The Advisory Committee needs to adopt a
strategic focus in the provision of its advice to Council and foster NAIDOC
celebrations that can meet broader objectives. Council also has a responsibility
to ensure that the events it provides are inclusive and accessible to all, well
planned, safe, cost effective and targeted towards achieving Council’s overall
strategic objectives.
The consultation in relation to NAIDOC
celebrations and future directions has been broad and inclusive. It has
included face-to face discussions with key stakeholders and in particular the
NAIDOC Planning Committee; event survey with facilitated discussions at
Burramatta Family Day; and an online survey to broader community promoted
through stakeholder networks.
NAIDOC Planning Committee
Discussions were held with this group on
three occasions, prior to Burramatta Family Day, immediately after Burramatta
Family Day and on September 27th when the draft recommendations were
discussed.
At the first consultation with this
Committee on 28 June it was agreed that the NAIDOC celebrations renewal process
would focus on considering how best to:
· Celebrate the achievements of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people
· Educate the whole community on the history
and culture of Aboriginal people in the Parramatta area
· Provide opportunities for the local
Indigenous community to celebrate together
· Encourage the broader community including
children to take part
These goals reflected the overall goals of
NAIDOC celebrations.
Burramatta Family Day Survey:
A survey was administered by an
independent survey organisation at the event. This survey was similar to
surveys administered at other major events held in Parramatta. While a copy of
the survey and the full results is available on request the key results are as
follows.
Of the 163 people (a sufficient sample)
who completed the survey:
· 69% lived in Parramatta local government
area
· 20% identified as Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islander peoples
· 10% were aged between 16-25 years and 70%
between 26-55 years
· 65% heard about Burramatta by word of
mouth or other means; 6% via council’s website; 17% from street banners and 12%
from local newspaper
· 52% of those attending were part of a family
with children
· The reasons for attending included: 22%-
activities looked interesting; 28%- interested in Indigenous Cultural events;
11% - like to attend local events; 10% -are Aboriginal or Torres Strait
Islander people
· 52 % had come to a NAIDOC event previously
· 96% said they would attend Burramatta next
year
· 33% walked to the activity
|
Features |
Rated as good or very good |
|
Activities |
95% |
|
Atmosphere |
96% |
|
Cleanliness
of Area |
99% |
|
Entertainment/Performances |
91% |
|
Facilities |
66% |
|
Location |
92 % |
|
Food |
76% |
|
Parking |
34% |
Yarn tent:
The Yarn Tent provided an opportunity for
facilitated conversations with individuals and groups attending Burramatta
Family Day. Twenty five people took part in discussions with the facilitator
and they were wide ranging, generally around a number of predetermined themes
(See Appendix 1).
The feedback, also provided in Appendix 1 was extensive with the key
messages being:
· Need for
better promotion and publicity
· Strong
interest within the community in knowing more about bush tucker, agricultural
practices and the archaeological finds
· Event needs to
be more closely linked with local schools and children especially through art
and writing
· People are
generally interested in finding out more about Aboriginal culture and history
· Need for
improved coordination and collaboration around NAIDOCC events with neighbouring
councils
Online Survey
An online survey was
prepared to elicit feedback from the broader community. Invitations to complete
this survey were sent to:
· 730 members of Parramatta Council’s Community Voice research panel
· Members of the NAIDOC Committee
· Artists
Studios
· ATSI
Committee
· NSW
Aboriginal Land Council
· Parramatta
Koori Interagency
· Other
government and not for profit organisations located in LGA focused on provision
of services for Aboriginal community and/or Aboriginal employees.
· Parramatta
City Council’s Staff and their networks.
These committees, the Land
Council and the Artists Studio were asked to disseminate the survey through
their networks.
The survey was completed by
214 persons and the results showed:
· 11 respondents identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
· 11% had
attended Burramatta Day
· 7.4% had
attended events at one of the libraries
· 22% had
attended NAIDOC celebrations prior to 2011
· 67% said
they would attend NAIDOC celebrations in the future
· 51%
thought NAIDOC week celebrations should be a significant/major event with 33%
thought it should be a moderate event. Only 12% thought it should be a small
event.
The
respondents were asked to indicate what NAIDOC activities they would prefer to
attend in the future.
· 56% - Guided walks to discover Parramatta’s Aboriginal history
· 41% - Burramatta Family day
· 41% - Traditional dance and music displays
· 40% - Hands on sessions focused on bush tucker and agricultural
practices
· 38% - Major contemporary event
· 36% - Major event celebrating a significant historical happening
· 35% - Lectures/displays on archaeological finds
· 34% - Art exhibition and community art activities
· 28% - Short creative activities for children
· 22% - Contemporary dance and music activities for children
· 15% - Art and writing competitions/activities for children
· 13% - Activities based around
sport
Significant Aboriginal History
Parramatta has significant Aboriginal history. The Upper
Parramatta River Catchment was originally home to the Burramatta clan, part of
the Dharug language group who had inhabited the area for more than forty
thousand years before British settlement in 1788. Many significant items of
Aboriginal cultural heritage can be seen in the catchment, including middens,
tree scars, cave paintings and stone flakes.
Parramatta was the location of the second European settlement in
Australia. By the end of 1788 there were some initial friendly contacts between
the Dharug and the Parramatta settlers around the bartering of food but
hostilities that often were instigated by convicts and soldiers, developed and
continued until Macquarie's time when he initiated a series of actions which
dramatically impacted on the local Aboriginal people. Parramatta and Government House was the centre
of Aboriginal and European interactions until Macquarie’s departure. In 1814 Macquarie set up the Parramatta
Native Institution and this was followed by the introduction of the annual
feast (Meeting Place), which continued at Parramatta until the 1830s.
Given the archaeological
evidence of long settlement by Aboriginals in the Parramatta area and the fact
that it was the centre of Aboriginal and European interactions for a number of
years in the early days of the colony Parramatta holds a unique position in the
history of Australia.
Parramatta – the CBD of Western Sydney
Parramatta is already recognised as the
CBD of Western Sydney[2]
which is the third largest economy in Australia. It is home to 160,000
residents, 16,000 businesses and 90,000 employees with an expected increase of
27,000 in jobs over the next 20 years. Parramatta’s influence extends beyond
its LGA boundaries and if it is to achieve recognition as the second CBD in NSW
it must accept the responsibility to strengthen its cultural attractions. As
the emerging centre for Western Sydney it must be prepared to reflect this
status.
A number of significant Aboriginal organisations are
based in the Parramatta area and these include:
· Head Office,
NSW Aboriginal Land Council (50 employees)
· Aboriginal Coordination Unit for NSW Police
· Aboriginal Programs Unit in Department of
Justice and Attorney General
· Aboriginal Housing Office
· Aboriginal Legal Service
· Parramatta Koori Interagency
The Aboriginal staff in these
organisations form part of the Parramatta City community. There are also a
number of other organisations that provide services and programs for the
Aboriginal community.
Comparison with neighbouring councils
Throughout the consultation process there
were numerous references to and comparisons with the NAIDOC events run by
neighboring councils and in particular Penrith, Blacktown and Campbelltown.
However it is probably not appropriate to make such comparisons for a number of
reasons including the differing demographic makeup of each LGA and the
different nature and overall role of each LGA and Council.
TABLE
A: 2006 Census data - Indigenous Persons in Parramatta and neighbouring LGAs
|
LGA |
Total Population |
% of Indigenous persons in LGA |
Number of Indigenous persons in LGA |
% of Indigenous persons in Australia |
|
Parramatta |
148,323 |
0.8% |
1201 |
2.3% |
|
Blacktown |
271,709 |
2.6% |
7055 |
|
|
Penrith |
172,140 |
2.4% |
4048 |
|
|
Holroyd |
89,766 |
0.8% |
737 |
|
|
Campbelltown |
143,076 |
2.7% |
3832 |
The data in Table A suggests that there are considerable variations in relation
to the number of Indigenous persons as identified residing in each LGA as well
as overall populations. Penrith, Campbelltown and Blacktown have significant
Indigenous populations above the Australian average level (2.3%) and the size
of the Indigenous populations reflect the size and nature of the NAIDOC
celebrations that they hold.
Burramatta Family Day
In 2011
approximately 2200 people attended this event over the day. There was probably
a core group of about 400 attendees with many stopping in for much shorter
periods as they walked through the park. This was supported by the increase over
previous years in the number who nominated that they walked to the event. The
2011 event included the Flag Raising and Smoking Ceremony on the rotunda which
has previously been held at a different time and venue. At the event NAIDOC
Committee Certificates were presented to persons as decided by the ATSI
Advisory Committee in recognition of their achievements, as well as to the Lord
Mayor, members of the ATSI Advisory Committee and Burramatta Family Day stall
holders.
Strengths
A strength of the Burramatta Family Day is that it
currently serves as a focal activity for part of the local Indigenous
community. The feedback from the survey at the event showed that the Burramatta
Family Day was valued by those who attended.
It was also evident that the NAIDOC Planning Sub
Committee currently makes a valuable contribution to the planning of the
Burramatta Family Day.
Opportunities/Challenges
At the Burramatta Family Day there were a number of
stalls providing information, mainly to Aboriginal visitors that included:
|
Cumberland Women’s Health Service |
Parramatta
Centrelink |
|
Your Rights at Work |
RTA |
|
ATSI Advisory Committee |
Reconciliation
for Western Sydney |
|
Parramatta Mission |
Indigenous
Disability Advocacy Services |
|
Community Justice Centre |
Community
Services |
|
Police & NSW Health |
Home Support & Community Services - PCC |
|
University of Western Sydney |
|
Generally these stalls were focused on the provision
of information on welfare services which may have addressed the needs of only a
limited percentage of those attending.
Inviting organisations with more positive messages
would provide greater diversity and alter the dynamic. Organisations such as
TAFE, Police, sporting groups such as AFL and NRL and even Services recruitment
were invited but some declined.
The feedback from the community showed a strong
interest in bush foods so stalls providing information and selling bush food
products would add variety and interest. However it must be recognized that
these are few and may present difficulties in attracting.
Stalls such as that run by the Reconciliation for
Western Sydney had information that appealed to broader groups.
An issue identified through the consultation was the
perceived lack of promotion of the activity although the actual promotion was
equivalent to that provided for other events. The perception of the lack of
promotion perhaps reflected the take up by the various media of the press
releases.
There is a recognized branding opportunity for the event; both the
library events and Burramatta Family Day are promoted on a single pamphlet.
There are opportunities to strengthen and make more consistent the branding of
all NAIDOC celebrations.
Burramatta Family Day - a major event or capacity building
A Strategic Review of Parramatta City
Council’s Events program[3]
(June 2006) outlined an evaluation framework to objectively determine the most
appropriate investment in its event program. This review identified five key
objectives for Council’s events programs that were based on Council’s overall
aims and the Triple Bottom Line strategic objectives as identified in the
twenty25 Strategic Plan. It is important
to note that it is not expected that any one event will meet all of the
objectives.
The following table provides an assessment
of Burramatta Day against these objectives.
|
Objective |
Burramatta Family Day |
|
Engage
people to be active in the life of the city |
Provides
some opportunities to be actively engaged, however take up is small. |
|
Demonstrate
and deliver a diversity of life understandings and perspectives |
It is
part of a national celebration held in July each year Provides
a range of cultural activities giving attendees opportunities to better
understand Aboriginal history and culture. Supports
cross-cultural communication by providing opportunities to learn about and
experience aspects of Aboriginal culture through direct communication with
local Aboriginals. However it is not attracting many new attendees from the
broader community. |
|
Celebrate
and promote urban form and natural environment through innovative use of
place and space |
Currently
it cannot be said that the event utilises public space in an innovative way.
However there are significant opportunities for improvements by using
different sites such as banks of the Parramatta River, the archaeological
sites and Lake Parramatta to promote different aspects of NAIDOC
celebrations. |
|
Encourage
local creative enterprise |
Members
of the ATSI Advisory Committee have opportunities to take an active
leadership role in planning and contributing to the day, however involvement
is minor. |
|
Boost the local economy – day and night |
The event
attracted approximately 2200 in 2011 and approximately 69% of these visitors
live in the Parramatta LGA. However, apart from the event providers-
security, marquees etc it does not
contribute to any great extent to local economy |
Another significant
responsibility of Parramatta Council is building community capacity and
Burramatta Family Day must also be considered in relation to this. Building
community capacity refers to the ability
of individuals, organisations and communities to manage their own affairs and
to work collectively to foster and sustain positive change (Howe and Cleary
2001). Burramatta Family Day is
difficult to categorise as it is neither a major event nor a capacity building
opportunity.
NAIDOC Week events at the libraries
Parramatta Council’s Library Services also run events for NAIDOC
week in conjunction with the Major Events unit and these events are popular
with high attendances (more than 800). They provided children with
opportunities to gain greater understanding and appreciation of Indigenous
culture, have lots of fun all in an indoor environment.
The events run in 2011 included:
|
Date |
Activity |
No. attending |
|
Parramatta Main library |
||
|
Monday 4 July |
Aboriginal story
telling with Walangari and Lesley. Included didgeridoo playing and dancing.
Ages 5-12 years |
40 |
|
Tuesday 5 July |
Boomerang painting
workshop with Mirrii Dancers |
330 |
|
Wednesday 6 July |
Gumnut necklace craft
workshop with Mirrii Dancers. Ages 3-14 years- ran sessions in shifts |
240 |
|
Storytimes |
Continued with
Aboriginal stories during second week of school holidays |
various |
|
Branch libraries |
||
|
Over week |
Cultural sessions with
Graham Davis King were held in FIVE branch libraries. Included storytelling,
didgeridoo playing and painting. |
200 (children and
adults) |
Does Burramatta Family Day meet the key objectives of NAIDOC celebrations?
The
overall objective of NAIDOC is to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander cultures and provide opportunities to recognise the contributions of
Indigenous Australians in various fields.
There
were opportunities throughout Burramatta Day to celebrate Aboriginal culture
through:
· Workshops on topics such as didgeridoo; Dreamtime story telling;
indigenous face painting; boomerang and rock painting and traditional tree
painting. Each workshop appeared to attract a small but interested crowd.
· Short
Didgeridoo performance
· Contemporary
music performances by Aboriginal bands and singers
· Three stalls
selling indigenous products- art works, wood carvings and jewellery
But when considering all the objectives of NAIDOC
celebrations it is clear that Burramatta Family Day in its current form is not
achieving its full potential.
· It does not showcase the rich and complex Aboriginal culture and history
including contemporary culture.
· It only attracts relatively small numbers.
· It has limited appeal to the broader community.
· It does not reflect a consistent theme.
· Presents a mixed bag of entertainment, activities and information
stalls.
· Presents workshops focused more on familiar traditional elements of its
culture and does little to showcase contemporary cultural practices
In its current form the event cannot be
described as a Family Day; all the entertainment was generally focused on the
tastes of older adults and there were insufficient activities to interest
children and almost nothing to interest adolescents.
Central to the question
of whether Burramatta Day meets the objectives of NAIDOC celebrations is the
need to clearly identify whom the current event is designed to attract.
The official NAIDOC brief states that it is
to be celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from
all walks of life.
With
160,000 residents and 90.000 workers in the Parramatta LGA it is important to identify the key groups
that could be encouraged to take part in activities as this will assist in
planning events and activities that best meets the expectations of the whole community.
The key target groups would include:
· Residents who are interested in Aboriginal
culture and history
· Local Indigenous residents and their families
· Local school
children and their parents
· Locally based Aboriginal organisations and
their employees
As Parramatta has 40.3%
of its residents born overseas[4] with significant
groups from China, India and Lebanon there is the challenge to encourage new
residents to develop an understanding of Indigenous history and culture.
The event in its current
format does not appear to try to attract a more varied group of attendees.
NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
Many councils have events similar to Burramatta
Family Day and those run by the Library.
The range of events is dependent on nature and size
of the local community and not all activities listed below would be appropriate
for the Parramatta community.
Activities run by other councils include:
· Elders’ lunch
· Photographic exhibition
· Youth disco
· Weaving workshop
· Community art or theatre workshops to tell stories and
deliver messages
· Music workshops to develop songs and musical
performance pieces
· Indigenous Hall of Fame featuring any
local role models and achievers.
· Art competition or writing competition
based around the important issues of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people.
· Clothesline project where people write or
draw messages about NAIDOC Week on t-shirts and display them in a prominent
place.
· Display in the local library or shopping centre showcasing the
achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
· Local Indigenous Elders speaking at a breakfast, morning tea, lunch or
sausage sizzle.
· Indigenous artist painting a wall or a display of Indigenous artifacts.
· Film night featuring Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
films or documentaries.
IDENTIFYING THE PREFERRED FUTURE DIRECTION FOR NAIDOC CELEBRATIONS
While this paper documents
some clear and different opportunities for Parramatta City Council in terms of
NAIDOC celebrations it is important that the intent and overall direction is
clarified and agreed.
When considering
any future direction of NAIDOC celebrations attention must be paid to what
makes it unique and what will make it stand out from the crowd
Burramatta Family Day appears to be valued
by those who do attend. While acknowledging this, the review has provided
opportunities to consider some different options for the future. It is clear
that any family activity at Parramatta will not be the same as the NAIDOC
activities run by Blacktown, Penrith and/or Campbelltown. With significant
Indigenous populations, those councils can hold more substantial events and
activities. Whatever activities
Parramatta Council runs it is important that it works cooperatively with the
other Councils to avoid time clashes.
Moreover given the many competing demands for funding
across Council it is not likely that there will be increased funds or
opportunities for funding from external sources for this activity in its
current form.
There are two basic directions
Council needs to decide between from at the outset. Both directions will
fulfill the role of the ATSI Advisory Committee to work with Council to develop
and promote appropriate celebrations of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander culture including Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week as well as recognise and
acknowledge the importance of the NAIDOC celebrations to the local Indigenous
community.
The research indicates that
the first direction is to generally continue with the Burramatta Family Day as
it has been delivered in the past with some changes.
The second direction
proposes some major changes and new opportunities that are engaging,
professional, inclusive and strategic and that acknowledge Parramatta’s role as
the CBD of Western Sydney.
Running any events involves
two levels of resourcing, these being budget and staff. Without additional
staff resources and budget it is not possible to continue with Burramatta
Family Day and concurrently deliver on some of the new opportunities.
Supplementary funding must come from other sources or partnerships.
In deciding on the overall direction for
the NAIDOC celebrations at Parramatta the challenge is to deliver NAIDOC events
that are attractive, innovative, safe and accessible to the key target groups
and broader community and meet the following criteria and guidelines:
· Recognise the importance of the NAIDOC
celebrations to the local Indigenous community
· Achieve the national objectives of NAIDOC
week which are to celebrate Aboriginal culture, recognise the contributions of
Indigenous Australians in various fields and to involve both Indigenous people
and Australians from all walks of life
· Acknowledge
Parramatta’s role as the CBD for Western Sydney in promoting cultural
activities for the Greater Parramatta population
Direction one: ATSI Advisory Committee – continues to determine NAIDOC celebrations
Parramatta Council can
continue according to past practice to give the ATSI Advisory Committee (along
with the NAIDOC Sub Committee) the responsibility for determining how NAIDOC is
celebrated including the planning for the Burramatta Family Day. It must be
acknowledged though that according to existing policies and protocols such as
the Committee’s Terms of Reference, the Committee does not actually have
control over the decision making but rather should “work with Council in developing and promoting appropriate celebrations.”
If Council adopts this
direction then it is recommended that the following changes for Burramatta Day
be adopted and incorporated into the planning:
· Food: The available food must be healthy and provide a choice of options. The
provision of free food could continue but its scope would be limited.
Many people are willing to pay for food options as indicated by the
feedback.
· Children’s activities: Feedback suggests an increase in the number of hands
on activities for children that are run by Indigenous people with experience
and expertise in working with children.
· Expanded range of stalls/information: Feedback suggests there needs to be more
stalls with positive messages showcasing Aboriginal initiatives, enterprises,
training and employment opportunities, bush tucker/ gourmet foods etc. with
less low end service stalls.
· Entertainment options: These need to be considered as an essential element
of the overall theming of the event, reflecting consistency.
· Explicit links to other activities: As access to guided walks is the number
one choice for surveyed residents, as an event to celebrate NAIDOC these
opportunities need to be developed and promoted strongly at the event. Walks
based on the Burramatta lands self-guided walk could be included. There are
also options to link into displays and activities at the Heritage Centre.
However while there will be
some minor improvements the event will still be essentially the same as that
which is currently held.
Direction two: A mix of events and activities that reflect a new way of celebrating NAIDOC week at Parramatta
A number of issues reflecting the feedback from the
community were taken into consideration in putting together the options under
direction two.
While Parramatta does not have a significant,
in terms of numbers, Aboriginal population it does have a very significant
history. Archaeological finds provide evidence of a long continuous settlement
of Aboriginals in the area and Parramatta was also the
centre of early Aboriginal European interactions. It still serves as the centre
given the location of a number of Aboriginal organisations and specialist
Government Aboriginal units in Parramatta with a significant Aboriginal
workforce. Part of NAIDOC week
celebrations should provide an opportunity for representatives from all these
organisations to come together with other Indigenous residents, community and
business groups for an event that honours the Aboriginal people,
acknowledges individual achievements and presents Aboriginal culture in a
positive light.
Civic event incorporating public speaking activity for local secondary students:
A civic activity is held at
the beginning of NAIDOC week during business hours for the raising of the flag,
presentation of awards and a debate / public speaking activity with local high
school pupils. This would involve members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Advisory Committee, other Aboriginal residents, representatives from
the Aboriginal organisations based in the City, state and federal political
representatives, Councillors and Council staff, local businesses and student
representatives from high schools and tertiary institutions.
Local state and private
high schools would be encouraged to send teams to take part in a short debate
or public speaking competition that would focus on relevant topics relating to
Aboriginal history, culture or contemporary issues. The activity would provide
a stimulating dialogue to the civic event and provide significant opportunities
for student involvement.
The flag raising and debate could be
followed by an indigenously catered morning tea for the invited representatives
during which time NAIDOC awards could be presented to the recipients.
A major NAIDOC event
Parramatta’s unique position and
significance in Australian history and in Western Sydney could also be
celebrated through an event or series of activities that would showcase
Parramatta to the rest of the region, the state and the nation. This may
require partnering with other Government bodies to accommodate resourcing
issues. The following options should be further investigated to identify the
best opportunities for Parramatta City Council.
Option 1: Celebrating the 200th
anniversary of the meeting place. In 1814 Governor Macquarie established an annual meeting for the local
tribes at the Market Place, on Church Street, the area in front of the Town
Hall. A large feast was an important part of the annual meeting. As 2014
represents the two hundred years celebration of this activity it provides a
wonderful opportunity for Parramatta Council to stage a commemoration of the
meeting place and launch the new-look NAIDOC into the future.
Option 2: Meeting of the Tribes in the 21st
century. Some historical
references suggested that the Aboriginal tribes had met on a regular basis in
the Parramatta area prior to white settlement and the meeting place event
initiated by Governor Macquarie was based on a pre-existing activity.
Parramatta has long been and still is the place of convergence where fresh
water meets salt water, an immensely important elemental feature.
Parramatta
Council would initiate a twenty first century meeting place event, held every
two years, inviting Aboriginal communities from across the region and state to
take part. The day / night event could accommodate traditional and contemporary
dance, music, theatre, film with art, craft, food etc displays and activities.
A range of satellite activities could be developed to activate other town
centres across the LGA.
This would
provide a unique opportunity for the general public to gain an insight into
this exceptional culture through the presentation of the best possible aspects
of contemporary and traditional Indigenous practices.
Option 3: Linking into other
Major Events. It was
recently reported that the City of Sydney is planning a major new Indigenous
festival with the $40,000 funding for a feasibility study coming from City of
Sydney Council and Events NSW. Parramatta Council should approach City of
Sydney and Events NSW to identify opportunities for engaging and offering parts
of Parramatta’s Indigenous Festival to City of Sydney activities.
At the same time the Sydney festival have announced
that a multimedia event I Am Eora will
be one of the centerpieces of the 2012 Festival. This will tell the story of
famous Aboriginals including Pemulwuy. With the increase in Festival of Sydney
events planned for the west in 2012 and supported by funding in the recent
State budget there may be an opportunity for this particular event to be
launched at Parramatta. Again Council should commence discussions with the
Sydney Festival organizers immediately.
Option 4: Sponsoring a
national Indigenous Literary Prize. Parramatta Council could sponsor perhaps in partnership with other
local businesses and organisations, literary awards for Indigenous writers.
This could be an annual or biennial award. This is not a high cost activity as
a prize of up to $10,000 will attract entries from well known authors. The prize giving ceremony could be
coordinated with the NAIDOC week Civic Event where an excerpt would be
presented.
Such events as described above do not have
to be held on an annual basis and may run and be funded through partnerships
with other organisations including local businesses, other government
departments with significant presence in Parramatta and groups such as Events
NSW, Tourism NSW. Some events may even be totally funded by other organisations
such as Sydney festival events and in these cases Parramatta Council may only
need to be an event partner with minimal resource allocation and advocate and
promote the activity especially where it supports the overall objectives of
Council and NAIDOC celebrations.
Celebrating significant ‘place’
The Parramatta River forms a significant
part of the story of Parramatta. It is a place of convergence and provides a
theme around which a NAIDOC celebration should be planned and held. It has
sites that are part of the Burramatta Walk; a significant place in the nation’s
history, a river scene is on the Parramatta logo; guided walks along the River
could be developed with Aboriginal Elders and through a diversity of
technologies being used to tell significant stories such as that of Ballooderry
and many, many others.
Increased involvement of children in NAIDOC activities
Children, especially those of primary
school age have shown an interest in Aboriginal culture in their attendance at
the NAIDOC events held at the libraries across the LGA. At this stage they are
open to learning and NAIDOC week should provide them with varied opportunities
to learn about Aboriginal culture and history. There was considerable feedback
in the Yarn tent and through the surveys suggesting there needs to be more activities
for children who also bring their parents and carers. Options to provide
increased involvement of children include:
· Option
5: Art and/or essay writing competition for local primary and secondary
pupils. An art and/or essay writing competition with good
prizes for local schoolchildren based on a NAIDOC theme could be held each
year. Council staff who currently work closely with schools could assist in
developing interest in the event. Representatives from the ATSI Advisory
Committee could be involved in the selection of the winners. There could be a
public display of the entries where winning design is incorporated into the
Citys’ banner program for NAIDOC.
· Option
6: Expansion of Library activities: NAIDOC library activities could be expanded with additional
funding, however the planning and theming of these programs should be
consistent with the rest of Councils NAIDOC plans. For 2012 library staff are
investigating the options of holding Black Screen film events during the
afternoons during NAIDOC week. This could attract more adolescent and adult
viewers and the incorporation of a ‘make your own movie’ with contemporary
media should also be investigated.
There could also be a special NAIDOC story-time for the
little ones which would also to bring in parents. The production of a book of local indigenous
bed-time stories would create a new product, a win for both sectors. The
libraries could also be a good venue for displaying entries in art and writing
competitions.
Education of
broader community on history and culture of Aboriginal people
The feedback showed that
there was a strong interest across the community in learning more about
Aboriginal culture and history. This is also important in areas with high
numbers of residents who were born overseas for the new Australian residents
need opportunities to learn about the original inhabitants of this land. A good
current initiative that must be acknowledged is the Building Bridges seminar
series that is facilitated by the Reconciliation for Western Sydney community
group that could also be involved in some of the following options.
· Option 7: Bush
tucker and farming displays: There is strong interest in food and gardening. Displays and activities
around this subject matter do not have to be limited to NAIDOC week and they
could also be held in conjunction with environmental and gardening events. They
could provide opportunities to attract residents to other sites such as Lake Parramatta. Produce could be used
for catering at Civic or Public Events.
· Option 8: Sharing perspectives: Each year two or three Aboriginals
might be invited to be part of a “This is My Story Program” where they share
their story and their perspectives. The persons invited to take part might come
from very different backgrounds and the talks may be delivered as part of the
NAIDOC Civic Event or as an evening lecture or daytime activity for schools or
for other interest groups within the community. Their stories could be part of
the promotion for the Burramatta festival published in print media and listed
on Parramatta’s website.
· Option 9: Guided Burramatta walks with translators: Such walks could be
provided to coincide with NAIDOC week or other festivals for other communities
such as Chinese or Hindi speaking groups. This would help to inform more recent
arrivals about the Aboriginal history of Parramatta. They could also be
included into new technologies (like iphones) and be available to anyone at
anytime.
· Option 10: NAIDOC scholarship
program: Council to establish a NAIDOC scholarship
program where each year a number of
local schools are awarded a $1000
scholarship to assist with Indigenous education activities by either
supporting Indigenous students or improving students’ knowledge of Indigenous
culture. Schools can direct the funding to where it is needed most such as
supporting Indigenous students in the transition to secondary school; running
Indigenous cultural activities for students; funding speakers; visits to
Aboriginal centres
· Option 11: NAIDOC
week ambassadors: NAIDOC week ambassadors deliver a NAIDOC week message to
groups such as local companies, business groups, Lions, Rotary and other
significant stakeholders. Council officers could work with the ambassadors in
preparing presentations and employ their services across the year, not only
limiting them to NAIDOC week celebrations.
The five options
listed above provide opportunities for community members to develop their
understanding of Aboriginal history and culture and for Indigenous culture to
take a significant and active role in the life of the City.
The importance of the NAIDOC celebrations to the local Indigenous community
A guiding
principle in this review has been the knowledge that the NAIDOC celebrations
are vitally important to the local Indigenous community in terms of both their
own involvement and ownership and also the recognition of their history,
culture and achievements by the broader community.
The options
presented are aimed at increasing both the significance of the NAIDOC
celebrations and the opportunities for the local Indigenous community to be
involved in a range of activities. As well there are some targeted options such
as the Indigenous Literary awards and the scholarship program that will
directly benefit and encourage Indigenous talent and students.
Role of ATSI Advisory Committee members
Under direction
two the ATSI Advisory Committee would have an extended role as it will be
encouraged to take a broader input by actions such as:
· Contributing
at a more strategic level to the overall planning of the celebrations to help
meet all the objectives of NAIDOC and Council
· Continuing
involvement in the NAIDOC week awards
· Acting as
official hosts at the Civic event for the flag raising, morning tea,
supplementary activities and award ceremony
· Having
representatives on the judging panels for all awards, competitions and
scholarship programs
· Acting as
NAIDOC ambassadors
IMPROVED PLANNING AND COORDINATION OF NAIDOC ACTIVITIES
There is an opportunity for Parramatta Council to improve the quality,
accessibility and relevance of NAIDOC week activities and events through better
coordination and planning by:
· Clarifying the
responsibilities of the ATSI Advisory Committee’s NAIDOC Planning sub-
committee so that their role is clear and they can contribute at a more
strategic level for all NAIDOC activities. The Sub-Committee’s contribution
must be timely so that activities, presenters etc can be booked and planned
well in advance.
· Offer training
in effective project planning at a strategic level.
· Burramatta has
strong local meaning and it is suggested that all NAIDOC week activities in
Parramatta be part of the Burramatta NAIDOC Festival which will include the
civic event, library activities and any other activities that are adopted. This
will facilitate coordinated promotion and branding.
· In allocating
funding the key NAIDOC objectives must be taken into consideration to ensure
that there is an equitable spread across events and activities.
· Staff from all
areas, both internal and external responsible for providing NAIDOC activities
be included in planning and coordination process with regular ‘newsletter’
style updates being issued.
The review has provided an opportunity for Parramatta
Council to consider how NAIDOC events can be best delivered in the future for
Council, the Indigenous Community and the greater Public. In doing so there has
been extensive consultation with key stakeholders and the broader community and
research into other opportunities.
The recommendations acknowledge the importance of the ATSI Advisory
Committee in the process and the challenges for them in moving in a new
direction –from hosting a small local event to a major activity that will be of
greater significance in regional and state terms. They will have the
opportunity to be involved in and contribute to the development of unique and
exciting celebrations that will attract attention from a much wider area
potentially becoming a part of the events calendar of NSW.
The
recommendations outline a series of events and activities that will deliver
considerable benefits to Parramatta Council and its community. They will:
· Better meet
the objectives of NAIDOC celebrations
· Honour the
significant Aboriginal history of the area
· Provide
vibrant, challenging and interesting opportunities to showcase contemporary
Aboriginal culture and achievements
· Strengthen
Parramatta’s cultural attractions and support its claim as the second CBD in
NSW
· Provide
opportunities for members of the ATSI Advisory Committee (and the NAIDOC Sub
Committee) to play a central role and further develop their strategic, creative and planning skills
It is recommended that:
1. Parramatta Council adopts a direction in
relation to NAIDOC celebrations that will involve major changes and new
opportunities that are engaging, innovative, professional, inclusive and
strategic and that reflects Parramatta’s role as the CBD of Western Sydney.
2. A Civic event incorporating a
flag raising ceremony, presentation of achievement awards and a debate or public speaking activity for
local students be held during business hours at
the beginning of NAIDOC week
3. Further research be undertaken into the four major events options
listed, these being
a. Celebrating the 200th
anniversary of the meeting place
b. Meeting of the Tribes in the 21st
century
c. Linking into other major events
d. Sponsoring a national Indigenous Literary
Prize.
to identify the scope of each event,
costs and benefits and report back to Council on the recommended option(s)
4. NAIDOC week activities at the libraries continue and be expanded giving
consideration to sponsoring a writing or film competition for school children
based on a NAIDOC theme
5. Opportunities to provide guided walks, across a variety of media
platforms including ones with translation to sites of Aboriginal significance
be run as part of NAIDOC celebrations with a view to expansion across the
events calendar.
6. Given the strong interest in bush tucker and agriculture that displays,
product stalls, demonstrations be included in other relevant events
(sustainability, garden display, VIP catering etc) throughout the year
7. The role and responsibilities of the ATSI Advisory committee be
clarified to encourage contribution at
a more strategic level in relation to NAIDOC celebrations and that relevant
training be offered to support this development.
APPENDIX 1 Yarn tent
25 people took
part in discussions.
THEMES
Burramatta day specifics
· Many positive
comments
· Sunday is
preferred day
· Need more
variety in food & drinks
· Needs
entertainment other than singing
· Needs more
activities for children
· Prince Alfred
Park is a better location than Parramatta Park
· Do something
along the river
Promotion
· Most people do
not even know what Burramatta means
· Needs better
promotion and publicity
· Each year need
some high profile person or activity as a draw card
Bush tucker and agriculture
· General
interest in bush tucker, Aboriginal food and
agriculture practices
Art, Music Dance & theatre
· More focus on
art, music & dance especially involving children & youth
· Combine with
an exhibition of artifacts, weavings, art etc
Children & Youth
· Art & writing
competitions with school children
· Currently no
link with schools
· Need more
activities for youth
Aboriginal culture and history
· Walking tours
around key sites
· Strong
interest in finding out more about Aboriginal history & culture- enormous
indigenous history in area is not exploited
Story & knowledge
· Want to learn
more- would like a tent like this where can ask questions and learn more.- a
yarn tent
· Story telling
for little ones
Working with other councils & organisations
· Coordinate
dates between Parramatta, Holroyd & Blacktown
· More
collaboration between councils
· Perhaps more
coordination/interaction with other NAIDOC council events- combined activity
even