Keep that fire burning!

Sites across EMHS came together in a myriad of ways to celebrate NAIDOC Week – from Traditional Dancers and Smoking Ceremonies to Bush Tucker meals and plenty of yarning. 

What an amazing week of celebrations East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) has just experienced – even the wind and rain could not stop us!

NAIDOC Week is always a special time for EMHS, but this year, it was especially moving to see all the meaningful ways that our staff – both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal – came together to honour the occasion.

EMHS is especially proud to honour the sentiments behind the occasion not just during this special week, but beyond.

This past year, EMHS has been actively learning how to add its voice to the mix and speak up for our Aboriginal patients, their families, and our colleagues.
Our Aboriginal Health Champions Program has been warmly embraced across our East Metro sites, with staff from all backgrounds standing up to take part, as well as members of our Area Executive Group.

As a proud and committed Aboriginal Health Champion, EMHS assures you that the interests of our Aboriginal consumers and our Aboriginal staff will always remain a leading priority.

Gerard Lockyer Aboriginal Health Professional, Moorditj Djena, EMHS I am a proud Ngarluma Kariera descendant and for me NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate different Aboriginal cultures from seaside to inland. I didn’t grow up learning about Aboriginal culture or knowing where my descendants were from. I started learning this when I was a teenager and at first, it felt weird being a fair-skinned person trying to fit into two different worlds. For me, the theme this year really hits hard. Once I found out my identity, this is exactly what I did – I stood "Blak, Loud and Proud”.   NAIDOC Week for me represents different generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples sharing their stories and knowledge with one another. It’s uplifting to see the traditional dancers and hear the various Aboriginal languages spoken during this week of celebration.   I feel especially happy when my kids ask me questions and I am able to pass onto them my knowledge of Aboriginal culture, so they too feel "Blak, Loud and Proud”.
Donna “Red” Czirr  Enrolled Nurse, Kalamunda Hospital NAIDOC Week provides the opportunity to come together to celebrate, yarn and share what we have achieved and what we would like to hopefully change in the coming year.  It’s a time to educate, guide and draw people closer by helping others gain an understanding of where our people came from and what they have proudly achieved.   This year’s NAIDOC theme was "Blak, Loud and Proud” which is about igniting the spirt of resilience and pride and keeping the fire burning. To me, that means not being afraid to speak up about my culture, to keep going forward and never backwards, to keep my spirit strong, and to walk tall and proud. Sometimes it’s difficult to stand up and speak up, especially in a way that brings unity rather than division. But together, we can all grow, learn and come together in a way that is positive and builds spirit.
Mark Day Social Work Manager, Royal Perth Bentley Group NAIDOC Week represents a significant time when we can collectively celebrate the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture. A time like this leads me to reflect on my own cultural connections but also how I can actively listen to others, advocate for, and support initiatives that promote reconciliation and healing.   I feel privileged to work closely with our team of Aboriginal Health Liaison Officers (AHLOs), which includes involvement in the planning and participation in the Bush Tucker yarning sessions that take place in the RPH Noongar Moort Ngala Maya (Aboriginal Family Garden: Our Place). These sessions provide the opportunity to connect and listen to the stories of our First Nations patients while enjoying a meal.

The rousing sentiment of “Blak, Loud and Proud” roared through the NAIDOC Week celebrations across EMHS, with highlights from the week captured in this video.