A Bit of Culture Never Hurts

Saturday night I went to a ball (woo-hoo!). It was no ordinary ball (not that any ball is ordinary). This was the NAIDOC ball.

The National NAIDOC Ball

NAIDOC stands for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The national NAIDOC ball is the highlight of the week. Tickets sell days after they go on sale. The girls glam up to the nines and the boys tux up and look well, let’s just say I’ve got a thing for men in suites (mmm…).

The Black Culture Thing

The reason I’m sharing this with you isn’t to brag. Nor is it to educate you about Australian indigenous culture, though it’s an interesting subject. I’m sharing this because my experience at the ball was quite profound.

I thought I knew a bit about Australian indigenous culture. Many of my friends are indigenous. My best buddy from school who invited me to the ball is aboriginal and I relate to black cultures due to my own heritage.

But NAIDOC opened my eyes to what it’s like to experience a culture collectively. The vibe in the room was so uplifting. There was a pride and connection amongst the thousand-plus guests I have rarely felt before.

Most Meaningful Awards

The theme of this year’s celebrations was ‘Honouring our Elders, Nurturing our Youth’. The award categories were titles like Elder of the Year (Female and Male), Youth of the Year, Artist of the Year and Scholar of the Year.

If there was a ceremony called ‘The Most Meaningful Awards’ Awards, NAIDOC would get my vote. The life stories of the winners gave me goosebumps. I teared up more than once. There was one elder who had never been out of her community before, let alone hop on a plane and come to the city to receive an award in front of television cameras and thousands of her people.

Talk about a wow experience.

The Bond Thing

They say there are six degrees of separation between people. In that room, those six degrees merged into the singular. This was one family linked sometimes by blood, but at all times by a shared history, and a singular view for the future: cultural redemption.

This is a people who have gone through hell in the past and still have many battles to fight today. They are in a constant yin yang of hurting and healing but they are strong.

Through the speeches, performances and conversations that night, I saw clearly that no amount of racial hatred, of ignorance or of rejection is going to suppress these proud and inspiring people. They are kicking butt and white Australia would do well to take notice.

What is Culture?

Okay, so I didn’t go home with a prince on my arm. I didn’t get bummed out because I lost my glass slipper either. But I went home with a better understanding of the importance of culture.

Culture isn’t just about keeping tradition alive. It’s about sharing old stories and creating new ones. It’s about respecting tradition by always adding value to it. But most of all, culture is about family.

Honouring our Elders, Nurturing our Youth

I encourage you to ask yourself three questions:

1. What is my culture?
2. Where do I belong?
3. What (or who) would I fight for and never give up?

If you’re anything like me the answer to each of those questions is ‘Family’. Family is everything. Whether your family is large or small, related by blood or bond, it doesn’t matter. What matters is we love, cherish and respect the people who mean the most to us, the people who are part of our ‘life family’.

We all have people in our lives (duh). But how much do we appreciate them… really appreciate? Who have you ignored or taken for granted, assuming they will always be around? Never assume. Fate can strike a nasty blow any moment.

Spend time with your loved ones. Take granny for a helicopter ride. Take Uncle Henry to a strip club (hmm, maybe not). Throw water bombs with your kids, nieces, nephews, friends or neighbours kids. Go away somewhere special with a friend. Share your time and love with everyone who is close to you. Relish their company.

Create memories that will stand the test of time through stories, told and written, and shared by future youth and future elders. Because death takes us all eventually but it can never take away the stories that keep family and culture and tradition alive.

Here’s to family!

Tracey x