Kaayi (Hello – Awabakal)

Yaama Ngindaay (Hello everyone - Gamilaraay)

Nungamanladi (Hello - Bardi)

Worimi (Hello – Dharug. Pronounced ‘Wurramee’)

Exciting news regarding two former students of St Kevin’s. Antonio M was elected School Captain and Lily P elected as Sports Captain for 2026 at Cardiff High School. Both students held the same leadership positions at St Kevin’s in 2020. How good is that! Our congratulations to Antonio and Lily and we wish them all the best in their leadership roles next year, evidence of the realisation of the 2025 NAIDOC Week theme ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy’ which we celebrated earlier this year.

Country

We often hear references to ‘Country’ when talking about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country are two different but equally important things.

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This explanation of a Welcome to Country comes from the Reconciliation Australia website:

Welcome to Country is delivered by Traditional Owners, or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who have been given permission from Traditional Owners, to welcome visitors to their Country.

Welcome to Country occurs at the beginning of a formal event and can take many forms including singing, dancing, smoking ceremonies, and/or a speech.

Traditional owners are not welcoming people to Australia, they are welcoming to the land within their cultural boundaries which their ancestors have cared for, and lived on, for millennia.

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In an Acknowledgement of Country we pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the traditional owners and name the Country we are on. We make reference to the ongoing relationship the people have with each other and with Country.

Even though Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people may not live in a traditional way on their land, they are still connected to it, and to them the meaning of ‘Country’ is much more than just ownership of the land. As Professor Mick Dodson explains:

For us Country is a word for all the values, places, resources, stories and cultural obligations associated with that area and its features. It describes the entirety of our ancestral domains.

So, while we see certain landmarks and places every day in our local area such as Mt Sugarloaf, Lake Macquarie, Nobbys or Swansea Heads, it’s important to acknowledge the special significance these places have for our Traditional Owners, the Awabakal people. There are Dreaming stories associated with some of these places – Mt Sugarloaf (Warrawelong), Nobbys (Whibayganba), Belmont Lagoon and Swansea Heads for example. The children enjoy these Dreaming stories and there is often a good underlying message in them as they learn more about Awabakal people, language and culture.

Yaluu

Phil Taylor

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Teacher