NAIDOC Week celebrations continued last week as students returned to campus for semester 2.

On Tuesday 1 August, the Office of Indigenous Strategy and Engagement hosted Flinders Elder on Campus Uncle Richie Fejo on Larrakia Country (Darwin) and Senior Kaurna man Uncle Mickey O’Brien at Kaurna Yarta (Bedford Park), who presented live cultural storytelling sessions for staff and students.

Stories included Uncle Richie Fejo sharing the creation story of Dariba Nunggalinya, ‘Old Man Rock’ and notable landmark in the ocean just off Darwin. He also presented the wisdom of the story of Gurambai, a freshwater creek that flows out to meet the salt water, forming eddies and currents that mix up the silt, creating muddied, unclear waters.

This story provided a great analogy for Uncle Richie’s work mentoring medical students to better manage the barriers of communication that can occur between non-aboriginal doctors and Aboriginal patients.

Uncle Mickey O’Brien utilised several fantastic props and shared numerous creation stories to provide guidance for shifting your viewpoint towards different perspectives. Shared stories on his lived experiences along with ancestral wisdom highlighted the value of openly exchanging knowledge and wisdom resulting in mutually beneficial outcomes for all.

If you were unable to attend a session or view the livestream, or would like to download the sessions, click here to access the recordings and enjoy the ancient wisdom of Australia’s First Nations people.

On Wednesday 3 August, students made their way to the Student Hub to grab one of the free Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander themed donuts that were handed out by Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling.