Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud
The theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week, “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud,” honours the resilient spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It calls for everyone to stand in solidarity and amplify the voices of First Nations people that have long been silenced.
The fire represents the enduring strength and vitality of Indigenous cultures, passed down through generations despite the challenges faced. It is a symbol of connection to the land, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Tweddle’s Role in Supporting First Nations Communities
At Tweddle, we believe that our collective actions can help create a future where the health outcomes of Aboriginal babies, toddlers, and children equal those of non-Aboriginal children. Together we can ensure that First Nations families receive culturally safe support services they can trust, prioritising self-determination through a trauma-informed lens.
Our staff can help ensure the stories, traditions, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are cherished and celebrated, enriching First Nations families, and reduce the over representation of Aboriginal children involved in Child Protection services.
NAIDOC Week 2024 Poster
The powerful 2024 National NAIDOC Week Poster was created by Deborah (Deb) Belyea, a proud member of the Samuawgadhalgal Cassowary Clan. Her bloodlines extend to the people of the top Western Torres Strait islands of Saibai, Dauan, and the Bamaga-Saibai community of Cape York. The winning entry, titled “Urapun Muy,” means “One Fire” in the Kalaw Kawaw Ya dialect. Deb explains that “Urapun Muy” depicts the rich, multifaceted tapestry that represents who we are as a Blak, Loud and Proud community.
Tweddle’s Commitment to Culturally Safe Programs
Tweddle is committed to providing accessible, inclusive practices and programs that serve the best interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, ensuring a safe, thriving, and strong start to life. We believe that the lives of Indigenous babies and toddlers are enriched when they are connected to their family, community, and Elders.
During NAIDOC Week, we are reminded that Tweddle delivers services on stolen land. Intergenerational ill-health has affected generations of Aboriginal families who continue to experience trauma linked to colonisation, the Stolen Generations, discrimination, and healthcare delivered through a western lens.
Tweddle has the privilege of working alongside Aboriginal health workers, mums, dads, babies, and toddlers as part of our early parenting support programs. We believe in the rights of Aboriginal people to have opportunities for self-determination. We respect Aboriginal people by supporting them to stay connected to Country, family, language, and land.
Tweddle Reconciliation Journey
Tweddle is currently reviewing our RAP Innovate. We are privileged to have the wisdom and guidance of our First Nations Board Chair, proud Gunditjmara woman Annette Vickery, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of WestCASA.
Tweddle’s Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group meets frequently to progress our RAP actions and activities. We explore ideas for reconciliation actions, including understanding what cultural safety looks like for our clients, consulting with First Nations peoples on our RAP, and seeking feedback from past Tweddle clients.
Tweddle believes in working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to develop an understanding of the impacts of transgenerational trauma. We acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are proud, and as a proud community, they teach us the power of standing up for the rights of their children, their rights to their land, and their rights to access services.
NAIDOC Origins
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians.
You can read more about NAIDOC Week and get involved here.
You can watch the Bunurong Artist Kobi Sainty artist’s Tweddle mini documentary below and here
This Indigenous artwork was created by Dixon Patten, proud Yorta Yorta and Gunnai man and Director/Graphic Artist at Bayila Creative. The artwork tells the story of Tweddle’s commitment to Reconciliation with the Aboriginal community.
- The ‘U’ shape symbols in the middle depict key people forming the RAP committee and coming together to listen, share and support.
- The ripple patterns represent the positive effect on the broader community that the RAP actions will have.
- The 2 outreached hands represent the ancestors guiding Tweddle’s RAP journey.
- The gum leaves represent being ‘Welcomed to Country’.
- The figures holding hands represent children and families supporting, nurturing and protecting each other.
- The footprints depict Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people walking together in reconciliation.
- The emu and kangaroo tracks are on Australia’s Coat of Arms; chosen because they can’t walk backwards. They are also very paternal and nurture their young.
- The pathways lead to different directions and the circles represent the diverse smaller communities that come together to form our big community.
- The Boomerangs depict returning to cultural values and principles to inform how we learn and teach each other in the spirit of reconciliation.
