Caption: Dimboola chef Cat Clarke hosted a workshop for Stawell Secondary College students as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations. The students made bush foods for their friends from Stawell West Primary School.
A cooking workshop with chef Cat Clarke on Wednesday kickstarted NAIDOC Week activities in Northern Grampians Shire.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said the council had partnered with Stawell Secondary College to run the workshop for the school's Marrung students.
"Under Cat's guidance they prepared a range of bush foods for family and students from Stawell West Primary School," she said.
"NAIDOC Week officially starts on Sunday, but we wanted to involve our indigenous students, so we arranged the workshop ahead of the school holidays.
"It went really well. The kids all seemed to enjoy the cooking – and of course, the treats."
More than 50 people attended from the schools, along with staff from Goolum Goolum and Budja Budja Aboriginal cooperatives and two Koori education support officers.
There was also a range of indigenous artworks on display – including some from a Stawell Skate Park mural project stencil workshop hosted by the council earlier this year – along with creative activities, books and artefacts.
"We think it's very important to include youth in our NAIDOC celebrations, particularly as this year's theme is, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy," Cr Hyslop said.
"It celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors."
NAIDOC Week runs from July 6 to July 13.
The NAIDOC journey started as a movement for recognition and rights, sparked by indigenous communities who saw a future built on justice and equality.
Over the decades, it has grown into a powerful national celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements.
Cr Hyslop invited the Northern Grampians community to attend flag raising ceremonies in Stawell and St Arnaud next week.
The ceremonies will be at Pleasant Creek Historic Precinct, Stawell, on Monday from 9.10am to 9.30am and at Market Square, St Arnaud, on Tuesday from 9am to 9.15am.
Stawell and St Arnaud library branches will also celebrate NAIDOC Week with book displays and NAIDOC-themed story times.
Stawell story time is on Thursday and Friday at 10.30am, while St Arnaud story time is on Thursday at 10.30am.
Artwork from the workshop day will also appear in Stawell Library next week.
"If you have time to attend a flag raising ceremony or story time session, I encourage you to come along and show your support for NAIDOC Week and celebrate our region's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," Cr Hyslop said.
