Harper Sercombe
The Westmeadows Indigenous Community Gardens came alive on Sunday to celebrate the start of NAIDOC week.
Joanne Russell has lived in Hume for the last two decades and is known as Aunty Jo, she grew up in Sunbury not even knowing her family is indigenous to Australia.
“I didn’t find out I was Aboriginal until I was in my early 40s. When my English grandfather on my mum’s side died, my grandmother was allowed to tell her story,” she said.
“She grew up on a mission then moved into Sydney and hid the Aboriginal heritage to keep her kids safe.”
The theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week is ‘For Our Elders’, which is a call to learn from the people who have deep connections to our land, and makes it extra special for Aunty Jo.
This year she is spreading the message about what respecting country means to her community.
“I talk about the importance of the food my people used to live on,” she said.
“It’s important to listen to Aboriginal people, listen to their stories and take on board that this is the more sustainable way to live.
“I’ve got a lot of non-Aboriginal friends that share my passion, and the more people that take these ideas on board it helps build respect for our culture.
“Just stand up and go ‘look, we’re here, we’re not going anywhere, let’s celebrate the importance of NAIDOC Week to Aboriginal people’.”
On July 2, Aunty Jo took 50 diverse locals on an exploration of bush food and fibre plants at the Westmeadows gardens to teach the best way to use and live off native land.
The activities included a smoking ceremony, a bush tucker walk, rock painting, a yarning circle and a native plant giveaway.
