NAIDOC Week: What does your heritage mean to you?
Updated
As Australians celebrate songlines for NAIDOC Week, 666 ABC Canberra asks five Canberrans what their Indigenous heritage means to them.
By Kim Lester
It gives me so much resilience in life, knowing experiences that my elders and community have had in the past because of their heritage. There comes I guess a bit of a sadness with it as well but I draw strength [from it] in what I do every day.
Tamika Townsend, Ngarigo Djiringanj woman
I am extremely proud of my Aboriginal heritage. Art is my life in play and work [and] I aim towards passing on all my passion and talent to help those who need the magic of art and its healing power.
Leanne Pope, Wiradjuri woman.
It's less [about] heritage and more of just belonging to something that's so much bigger than me. I could go anywhere and know that I have family there, regardless of whether I'm actually related to them. It's just basically a huge family tree that goes everywhere.
Rachel Kennedy, Ngunnawal woman
My grandfather [is in] Adelaide and he designed our flag and I helped him with that. It's where I grew up most of the time. You don't have much internet so you're kind of cut off so you go hunting with your family. So it means really a lot to me.
Halle Rigney
It's being a part of something that goes back hundreds if not thousands of years. All of the things attached, like songlines, sacred sights and women's business, it's about being a part of it and no matter where you go you'll always have that with you.
Aylah Williams, Wiradjuri woman
Topics: indigenous-culture, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, canberra-2600
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