NAIDOC WEEK, 7 - 14 JULY

This week as part of NAIDOC week we are invited to learn, celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Artist Deb Belyea, describes her work of “Urapun Muy” (One Fire) as capturing the passion that Aboriginal and Torres strait islander people have for their culture. She further describes “In this work, I have depicted the hands of our ancestors that have carefully dropped a burning ember on to a fire. This ember burns hot with intensity, stoking the flames, as it combines with the new fire. The linear detail shows the energy and power as cultural knowledge is transferred from our ancestor to us today. Culture is the fire that gives us knowledge, wisdom and purpose. It is our responsibility to maintain, practice, and pass on our fire to our future generations.”

 At our Year 6 – 12 Assembly, Oliva Boland, Year 12 student and Academic Action Group Captain was presented with a Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) Scholarship. QATSIF, 2023 Queensland Philanthropic Foundation of The Year, supports eligible First Nations students.

Olivia shared, “To build a stronger connection between Pacific Lutheran College students and the QATSIF foundation, I highly encourage First Nations students to participate in QATSIF events such as the annual Creative Arts Competition and the Yarning With Our Elders project. I am excited to see First Nations students at Pacific receiving this invaluable scholarship in the coming years.”

To learn more about the NAIDOC Week and the 2024 theme please go to: https://www.naidoc.org.au/about/naidoc-theme

Dr Bronwyn Dolling, Principal