The Western Australian Museum – Albany is hosting NAIDOC Week activities from 5-12 July and invites people of all ages to take part.

This year’s national theme is ‘We all Stand on Sacred Ground’ which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique connection to land.

WA Museum – Albany Regional Manager Rachael Wilsher-Saa said the Museum is hosting a range of activities and events for NAIDOC Week, including unique art workshops.

“Highly acclaimed national and international Noongar/Yamatji artist ‘Tjyllyungoo’ Lance Chadd will be running two art workshops on Wednesday 8 July and Friday 10 July,” Ms Wilsher-Saa said.

“It will be a fantastic opportunity for people to try out the Carrolup art style under the guidance of such an impressive artist.”

In addition, the school holiday program at the WA Museum – Albany is inspired by NAIDOC Week.

“There are creative activities for all ages including ceremonial face painting, live didgeridoo music by local Minang man Graeme Simpson, dancing and Dreaming stories for children,” Ms Wilsher-Saa said.

The whole family will enjoy an exhibition of unique works from the extraordinary Western Desert Aboriginal art movement. Warakurna: All the Stories Got into our Minds and Eyes features paintings and sculptures which were produced at Warakurna, a community at the foot of the Rawlinson Ranges in Western Australia, 300 kilometres west of Uluru (Ayers Rock).

WA Museum CEO Alec Coles said the Museum is proud to support and participate in NAIDOC Week each year and encourages its visitors to take part in events organised across its metropolitan and regional sites.

“It is important that NAIDOC Week is embraced by all Australians as we seek to promote better understanding of the place of Australia’s first peoples in our nation,” Mr Coles said.

“NAIDOC stands for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. The committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week.

“Now events are organised by communities across Australia and the Museum is proud to be part of sharing that very significant sense of people and place.”

The WA Museum’s Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Perth sites will also be celebrating NAIDOC Week. Information about the activities can be found at http://museum.wa.gov.au/

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Media contact
Sharna Craig
Media and Publicity Officer
Western Australian Museum
sharna.craig@museum.wa.gov.au