NRL COWBOYS HOUSE KEEPING THE FIRE BURNING
Families of NRL Cowboys House students have come together to share stories, cultural activities, dancing and lots of traditional food as part of the Townsville Indigenous boarding facility’s NAIDOC celebrations at the weekend.
Cowboys House General Manager Rochelle Jones said it was an amazing opportunity to welcome the students’ families and celebrate the culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples together.
“The NAIDOC theme this year is Keep the Fire Burning and for us at NRL Cowboys House that’s about passing down knowledge from generation to generation,” Rochelle said.
“Our students come from some of Australia’s most remote and geographically disadvantaged communities to live far away from their families and attend schools in Townsville, so they often miss out on some of that connection.
“Having their families visit and running stalls and sharing their knowledge, stories and skills is really important to us. And our students were also passing on their knowledge to some of their other friends from school and teachers as well.
“Last year the families saw how much work our staff put into the year and our NAIDOC Day and they decided they would do the food this year, so they brought huge amounts of ingredients down from their own communities, created a traditional menu and did a huge cook-up, which was just so special.”
The NAIDOC Week theme for 2024 is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud which celebrates the survival and relentless spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
NRL Cowboys House NAIDOC Day celebrations are held later in the year because students are at home in their communities for school holidays during the nationally observed NAIDOC Week.
Traditional Owner and Elder Helen Gordon travelled from Cooktown to host a stall teaching traditional artwork to children and said it was a day of great significance for her.
“I feel that it’s bringing culture to the children and making them aware of where they originated from,” Helen said.
“Within our hearts we want to keep that fire burning and keep educating our children and showing them the culture that we had learned from our descendants.
“NRL Cowboys House is an awesome place, it teaches the kids the lifestyle of today, how to communicate but still hold on to their culture. I love the Cowboys!”
The NAIDOC activity stations including Didgeridoo making, dilly bag making, grass skirt making, spear throwing, totem pole painting, dance workshops, weaving, scone and damper making, bush tucker, charcoal drawing and more.
This National NAIDOC Week Activity is funded by the National Indigenous Australians Agency.
