Dean of Identity | Mr Charles Brauer

At one stage or another we’ve all experienced the power of being acknowledged for who we are and experienced the pride of having one of our achievements celebrated. Tuesday’s Spirit Assembly for Chess, Basketball and Rugby was a fresh reminder of the extent to which our Terrace Family values acknowledging and celebrating others. While bearing witness to the Spirit Assembly and the impact it was having on individuals, teams and our community, I was taken back to last week’s NAIDOC Week celebrations at Musgrave Park, West End. Another wonderful time to acknowledge and celebrate.

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As was evident at Musgrave Park last Friday, NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is always a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.

In the spirit of NAIDOC Week, I wonder if we could further acknowledge and celebrate our nation’s Indigenous history and culture? Acknowledging and celebrating anyone, any team, any group requires authenticity and sincerity. When we are acknowledged or the focus of any celebration in this way our self-worth and dignity are affirmed. We feel valued, we feel loved and we are encouraged to give our best.

As we do with many whole-school occasions, we commenced this term’s first College Assembly with an Acknowledgement of Country. The essence of this acknowledgement is in the key phrases below:

As a Catholic community in the Edmund Rice tradition, we are committed to reconciliation with and recognition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people of our nation…..we acknowledge the elders past, present and future of the Turrbal people of Jaggera country on whose traditional lands on which we stand……we acknowledge the pain and struggle of the past and commit to a hopeful future where we proudly share in the stewardship and care of the ancient land on which we stand.

Our Terrace Family will continue to find ways to be authentic in our acknowledgment and celebration of our nation’s, and local area’s, Indigenous peoples, history and culture. While doing so we will collectively be affirmed and encouraged towards a shared future.

Victoria Park today.