District Aboriginal Cultural Support Team hosts children’s reading session for Indigenous Literacy Day.
 

To celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day, Aboriginal Elders on Sydney Local Health District’s Elders Advisory Committee read dreamtime story books to pre-school children at Marrickville Health Centre. 

Aunty Gail Daylight and Aunty Annette Celar read popular, well-known stories, such as “How the Kangaroos Got Their Tails” by George Mung Mung Lirrmiyarri of the Kija people, Western Australia. 

The children had a wonderful time engaging with the actions in the stories, making animal sounds and laughing along with the Elders at quirky characters.  

Books were also donated by Hands of Hope for the children to read with their families.  

The District is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal communities through increasing literacy and shared cultural knowledge. It is a feature of the District’s work towards closing the gap for Aboriginal people, delivering accessible, culturally appropriate and holistic health services. 

Aunty Gail and Aunty Annette are on the District’s Aboriginal Elders Advisory Committee, a culturally-safe space for Elders to share their opinions on health matters affecting their community. She and other Elders are strong advocates of initiatives driven and organised by the Aboriginal Cultural Support Team. 

“We are grateful for our Elder’s constant presence in our community events. They play a vital role to youth in our community as role models and knowledge holders,” Alexis Joseph, Aboriginal Cultural Support Project Officer, said. 

“It was fantastic to introduce these stories at a young age and to hand out books that they can take home... we are always looking to promote events like this whenever we can.” 

Madeleine Kitchener, District Health Centres General Manager, said it was a great event to hold at Marrickville. 

“We have a thriving local community here with lots of young families, and a significant proportion of the District’s Aboriginal population living within the Inner West local government areas,” she said.  

“The National Indigenous Australians Agency has shown that increased literacy can lead to better health outcomes, more opportunities, and employment prospects. We are hoping that this event will help introduce children and their families to the centre, and to educational opportunities.” 

Held on the first Wednesday of September, Indigenous Literacy Day is an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ stories, cultures, and languages. Sydney Local Health District joins other organisations and schools in promoting the connection to Country through stories and proud voices.