NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) staff were educated and sombred when they participated in Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training in the lead up to National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week.

Hailing from the saltwater people of Nambucca Heads and raised by his grandmother, Troy Dargan a Gumbaynggirr man working for KARI Australia educated NSWIS staff on how inter-generational experiences affect Australia’s Indigenous communities.

Dargan invited NSWIS staff to receive ochre to the face, three fingerprints on the forehead and one on the chin. According to indigenous culture, each fingerprint represents the values – respect, patience, observation and responsibility.

 “I don’t love my country, I am in love with my country. And if there is one thing I want you to focus on today it is responsibility.”

Dargan educated NSWIS staff on Aboriginal culture, including social structures, laws and trade practices as well as agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture methods prior to British colonisation. He shared incredible stories about ancient Indigenous symbols like the Gymea plant which when flowering from May to September represents the migration of whales, as well as the fish traps in Brewarrina NSW which are older than the pyramids in Egypt.

In an activity that visibly moved the NSWIS staff members, Troy asked each one to draw their perfect world on a piece of paper. He then walked the room, viewed a few of the drawings and then scrunched them in his hands.

“For 60,000 years we had our perfect world. Who am I to tell anyone that your perfect world is terrible. For a long time we have been portrayed as savages. That’s not true – we had our rules. We had our perfect world, but because there was a lack of an attempt to understand our way of life, our way of life was considered terrible.”

Dargan went on to give the NSWIS Team a deep understanding of the devastating impact of colonisation and Government polices and shared heartbreaking stories from survivors of the Stolen Generation.

Each year during NAIDOC week, communities all over Australia celebrate and recognise the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders within their local communities. In 2023 the NAIDOC week theme is “for our elders”.

Among the NSWIS staff participating in the awareness training was Commercial Partnerships Coordinator Sarah Di Leo, whose grandmother was of indigenous background with connections to the Wiradjuri people from Bourke.

“At this point in my life, NAIDOC week reinforces the need for me to continue learning about my own connections. My grandmother very sadly passed away last year, and I want to continue to piece together the parts of our family’s history for her and hopefully one day connect with relatives.

Di Leo described the training session with Dargan as ‘invaluable’.

“I think the way Troy went back to the very beginning and framed the training to the historical timeline gave everyone an opportunity to really reflect on history and what they know about Aboriginal culture and colonisation and a better understanding of inter-generational trauma.

“I think everybody in the room learnt something that day – or maybe learnt that what they thought that knew isn’t accurate”.

“The key message that I took away when it comes to being culturally aware is to actually be proactive and make meaningful connections.”

NAIDOC week is  celebrated from 2 – 9 July 2023.

Frances Cordaro, NSWIS

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