Victoria NAIDOC March

Rhiannon Jackson is an early childhood educator in Victoria who has kindly shared her experience at a local NAIDOC March in Victoria with the Koori Curriculum and our followers. Thanks Rhiannon.

Wominjeka (Welcome), Biladu-njan-warr (how are you), my name is Rhiannon and I live and work on Wurundjeri Land and Woiwurrung language in Victoria.

I am an early years Educator at a long daycare centre. I implement Koorie education in the rooms I work in every year  by sharing my knowledge and passion with the educators, children and families at my centre.

Today I attended the Victorian NAIDOC march which began at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Services in Fitzroy and ended at Federation square in Melbourne. This event was hosted by Victoria Naidoc and VAHS healthy lifestyle team. We had at least 1.4k and more attend today!!!

It was such a great day to spend with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and other people from different cultures and from all different walks of life! There was a great vibe, connection and a real sense of belonging as we all came together to support our First Nation’s People.  Together we acknowledged our Indigenous peoples achievements and whilst also acknowledging their struggles both in the past and present.

The Event started at 10am and went until 12pm. It was an opportunity to have a yarn with others, coffee, food listen to Benny Walker and purchase merchandise! Hoodies, t-shirts, caps, beanies and loads more!!! In attendance was VIC Ambulance with their deadly Ambulance designed in Aboriginal art and aboriginal Ambo’s.

From 12pm we started our March with chanting…. “Always was, Always will be, Aboriginal Land”…….. Also “What do we want?……Treaty….When do we want it? ……..Now……. There was a police presence but that was too interact with Marchers and also Stop Traffic and guide.
We stopped off at Parliament House for Speeches of what we want the Government to do and the struggles that continue today………I think they heard!!!!!!

Afterwards we headed off with more chants and the didgeridoo playing, At the corner of Bourke Street and Swanston Street in Melbourne City some young deadly dancers showed us their talent!! Then we marched to Federation square for more speeches and some family fun activities.

I was proud to take my son and nephew on their first March and what an important one…to embed this knowledge in them for the future generations to come…..My mob come from Narooma NSW and they are my love, my inspiration, my passion and my drive………..Special thank you to Elder Mandy Nicholson who sent me audio of greetings, farewells, Australian animal names in the Woiwurrung language.