NAIDOC Week: Moreton Bay Celebrates With Flag Upgrade

Published 29 June 2022

naidoc

It’s out with the old and in with the ancient this NAIDOC Week.

Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery has committed to flying Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at Council’s three administration centres and two Council Chambers.

“The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags will now fly permanently alongside the Australian flag as an important reminder of our shared history that has brought us to this moment,” Mayor Flannery said.

“The theme of NAIDOC week this year is: Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!

“NAIDOC Week 2022 asks us to go beyond acknowledgement, good intentions, and empty words.

“So I hope these flags will remind everyone that we live on the Country of the Jinibara, Kabi Kabi and Turrbal traditional custodians who are the First Nations Authorities of the flora, fauna, languages and ancient cultures here in the Moreton Bay Regional Council area.

“I want Moreton Bay to be a more connected and respectful place for everyone and NAIDOC Week is the perfect opportunity to do this, as part of our nation’s celebration of the history, culture, and achievements of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

“Many will be aware that Council has committed to the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

“When announcing this we committed to listening and gaining input from Traditional Custodians and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

“We have been doing this work over an extended period and we are continuing to learn and evolve as stronger and more respectful and committed council in many ways.

“And I reiterate our pledge to consult meaningfully, because we know the voices of First Nation’s people have not always been heard in our region.

“So it is up to us to step up and reach out to build better, stronger relationships.

“We need to consciously work on ourselves to be better able to engage with and respect an ancient yet vital culture, and to make sure that Council is a safe place for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as employees and in our community.

“We need to identify meaningful opportunities to support Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander businesses, culture that meets their aspirations. 

“Council also needs to work with other levels of government, agencies and community organisations to learn new ways, and champion more inclusive ways, of doing business, and being us, the peoples on Moreton Bay. And we commit to doing these things.

“But while we continue to make the RAP all that it can be for the future, we work to progress reconciliation at every opportunity.”

Examples of this include:

  • The Local Languages project - a collaboration with the Kabi Kabi traditional custodians, community, and council to deliver a series of short films sharing stories connected to Kabi Kabi language
  • Council’s First Nations Storytelling Project continues to collect in oral history interviews recorded with local leading Elders who led their respective fields as true champions. This is one of the more recent projects to collect information from Moreton Bay elders.
  • Starting last year, Council’s fire management and cultural heritage teams began working with Kabi Kabi and Jinibara traditional owners to do pre and post-burn cultural heritage surveys on country. Using their knowledge to do cool burns to preserve the trees as well as protect any cultural heritage and target the undergrowth. This will be ongoing partnership.
  • Kabi Kabi Traditional owners recently asked us to work with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to salvage trees that need to be cut down for the Bruce Highway. These have then been installed or used to creates habitat stacks on council land creating hollows and refuges for wildlife. This is a great example of what can be achieved by listening to the voices of First Nations People and acting on their advice. 
  • The Queensland Indigenous Football Carnival, the Murri Rugby League Carnival, and the Moreton Bay Murri Expo held this year are also great examples of self-determination, sharing and collaborative ways that included our Traditional Custodians in the first instance.

During NAIDOC week everyone is invited to reflect on how we can each contribute to positive and permanent change for a better Moreton Bay for us all, and for the generations that follow.

For more information on NAIDOC events in the Moreton Bay area visit: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/Events/NAIDOC-Week

 

Tagged as:
Back to top