Tweed Shire Council is celebrating National Reconciliation Week (NRW) this year with an exhibition opening, a traveling museum and the launch of a new Reconciliation Action Plan.
During NRW – which runs from 27 May to 3 June every year – the Council will also be supporting the second annual Walk on Country.
The theme for this year’s NRW is ‘Now More than Ever’, recognising the continued fight for justice and rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
On 31 May, the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Centre will open Saltwater Currents: First Nations Seascapes and Contemporary Artefacts, showcasing the works of Yiman, Ghungalu, Gurreng Gurreng artist Anthony J Walker.
The Tweed Regional Museum has also expanded its award-winning Land | Life | Culture display, which highlights the enduring connection of the Tweed Bundjalung people to the land through oral traditions, lore and archaeological evidence.
The Council will also this week launch its second Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP is part of Council’s commitment to fostering an inclusive community and guides efforts towards reconciliation for the benefit of First Nations people.
This RAP highlights achievements like the creation of Livvi’s Place – Goorimahbah Place of Stories, a playground and cultural space celebrating the Tweed Bundjalung Nation through artwork and storytelling, the Council said in a statement.
This new two-year RAP will supersede Council’s 2018 Innovate RAP.
Director Sustainable Communities and Environment, Naomi Searle said she was proud of how far Council had come in recent years in working to embed the principles and purpose of reconciliation across the organisation and into the wider community.
“We are proud to have the support of one of the country’s longest serving Aboriginal Advisory Committees who have provided Council with guidance for over 25 years now,” Ms Searle said.
“We have learned a lot over that time and continued to build a strong and meaningful pathway for further reconciliation.
“Council will continue to work with First Nations people and our Aboriginal Advisory Committee to ensure we continue to learn from, acknowledge and respect Aboriginal people and Country in everything we do. While we have achieved much, there is still more work to be done.”
As part of NRW activities, Council supported the ninth annual Kinship Festival, hosted by Murwillumbah Community Centre on 25 May. Council is also supporting The Family Centre’s second Walk on Country event on 2 June. The community walk starts at 10 am at Ed Parker Rotary Park beside Cudgen Creek at Kingscliff and ends at Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club.
“National Reconciliation Week is a time to celebrate First Nations culture, reflect on our history, and showcase our efforts to build a stronger, more united community,” Ms Searle said.
“Having events like the Kinship Festival and Walk on Country in the Tweed is an honour and a wonderful way to celebrate local culture.”
