As part of Reconciliation Week, Mitchell Shire Council will launch its first ever Acknowledging our Traditional Owners Resource Guide on Thursday, 30 May 2019.
The guide has been developed so that any community member can pick it up and learn more about:
- Acknowledgement of Country and Traditional Owners
- Welcome to Country
- Flags and celebrations
- Key dates that are acknowledged throughout the year
- Terminology and Group Names
The guide also highlights Mitchell Shire Council's commitment:
- To reconciliation
- To closing the gap
- And to acknowledging one of the oldest and proudest cultures in the world
By launching this guide, Council hopes to provide knowledge and information that will support our community
The guide will also help the community learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our community, including those of the Taungurung and Wurundjeri peoples.
The guide was written alongside Taungurung Land and Waters Council's Matthew Burns and Kathy Mexted, Lower Hume Primary Care partnership Aboriginal Wellbeing Project's Rebecca Walsh and the local Aboriginal Network.
The guide will be launched on Thursday 30 May as part of National Reconciliation Week 2019, Grounded in Truth Walk Together with Courage
The week is a time for all Australians to learn about shared histories, cultures and achievements each year between 27 May and 3 June.
The week is chosen to commemorate the 1967 Referendum to recognise Aboriginal peoples and the High Court Mabo Decision.
As noted by Mitchell Shire Mayor Councillor Bill Chisholm
"It is a privilege to be able to launch the first ever Acknowledging our Traditional Owners Resource Guide for our community and our Aboriginal peoples," he said.
"This guide is a highlight for Mitchell Shire Council's Social Justice Framework. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, along with other sections of people throughout municipality, are the priority in this framework and the practice guide is a direct accomplishment from the actions within that."
As noted by Mitchell Shire Councillor Rhonda Sanderson
"It will be fantastic to join Uncle Larry of the Taungurung people for a smoking ceremony and Traditional Welcome to Country in Broadford to launch this guide on Thursday," she said.
"It is special for all the people in the region, and I am honoured to celebrate this achievement with our community.
"I would like to thank those who developed the Acknowledging our Traditional Owners Resource Guide alongside Taungurung Land and Waters Council's Matthew Burns and Kathy Mexted, Lower Hume Primary Care partnership Aboriginal Wellbeing Project's Rebecca Walsh and the local Aboriginal Network.
"It is wonderful to see a collaborative approach to a guide of this kind - and something which will live on in our municipality for generations to come."
Key statistics
Mitchell Shire Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has grown since 2011 by 62 per cent.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons now account for 1.59 per cent of Mitchell Shire population.
