Happy National NAIDOC week!
NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
#HealCountry is the 2021 NAIDOC theme
Heal Country! – calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage.
“Country is inherent to our identity.
It sustains our lives in every aspect – spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally.
It is more than a place.
When we talk about Country it is spoken of like a person.
Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples it has been this way since the dawn of time.
Through our languages and songs, we speak to Country; through our ceremonies and traditions we sing to – and celebrate Country – and Country speak to us.” (https://www.naidoc.org.au/news/2021-naidoc-week-theme-announced-heal-country)
The ASP recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.
To celebrate NAIDOC week we want to share Bernard Lee Singleton’s magnificent painting, Gula Guri mayin (which means “Heal the body”). Gula Guri mayin explores themes of parasites and health and the image was animated by artists Russell Milledge (James Cook University) and Tai Inoue in 2018 https://youtu.be/ZtV4Lnw1wac
Watch the documentary of Bernard Lee Singleton creating the artwork and the animation of Gula Guri mayin on the ASP website
