A culturally rich program on offer for NAIDOC Day at Southern Cross University

NAIDOC Day will be celebrated at Southern Cross University with a series of performances at the Lismore campus on Thursday, July 27.

The national event celebrates the survival of Indigenous culture and the Indigenous contribution to modern Australia.

This year's theme, Respect the Past - Believe in the Future, was chosen to reflect the importance of respecting, remembering, and celebrating Indigenous history, traditions and achievements and looking forward with optimism and confidence to the future.

Southern Cross University's Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples will host celebrations with renowned rock musician Bunna Lawrie performing in Goodman Plaza after the welcoming speeches which start at 10am.

Also featuring on the day will be the Dhinawan Dreaming dance troupe and a screening of the film, Return of the Whale Dreamers, winner of the Best film Award at this year's Byron Bay Film Festival.

Ten years in the making, the wisdom of international Indigenous elders permeates the film, sounding a warning about the perilous path humanity is heading down, but also showing how humanity can collectively respond to change things.

For the first time on film, Aboriginal 'whale calling' ceremonies are shared. The 90-minute film will screen in room H-101 at 2pm.

Staff and students from the Tweed Gold Coast and Coffs Harbour campuses are warmly invited to attend the Lismore celebrations, said Virginia Ingham, Gnibi's administrative officer.

National NAIDOC Week Chairperson, Aden Ridgeway said: "As Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders celebrate NAIDOC Week this year with members of the wider Australian community, we should all remember and respect the traditional and cultural heritage from countless generations of Indigenous people on this continent for over 50,000 years, as well as the past hurt and hardship of our experiences since British colonisation.

"NAIDOC Week will also be a time for Indigenous people to think about the future we want to shape for ourselves."

You can join Southern Cross University's NAIDOC Day celebrations from 10am on Thursday, July 27, in Goodman Plaza at the Lismore campus, Military Road, East Lismore.

Caption: Life Circle, a painting by Charmaine Green, from Geraldton WA, which won the NAIDOC 2006 Poster Competition.

Media contact: Zoe Satherley, media officer 6620 3144, 0439 132 095.