Netball WA, West Coast Fever and Shooting Stars are proud to celebrate NAIDOC Week and support this year’s theme of ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together’.
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Voice. Treaty. Truth. were three key elements to the reforms set out in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. These reforms represent the unified position of First Nations Australians.
The 2019 theme acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have always wanted an enhanced role in decision-making in Australia’s democracy.
The theme also aims at highlighting our various First Nations’ desire for lasting and effective agreements.
Netball WA’s NAIDOC Week celebrations will be highlighted by the Perth NAIDOC Netball Carnival on Wednesday at the State Netball Centre, with more than 100 teams expected to take part in the competition, further cementing its position as one of the largest Indigenous sporting events in Australia.
This year will also see the theme of NAIDOC Week in the hands of each team, with a bespoke ball designed by Narrogin Aboriginal Grassroots Site and Shooting Stars participant, Shontae Jetta, and thanks to the support of the Insurance Commission of Western Australia, promoting the Belt Up campaign.
Netball WA staff will also take part in a range of other NAIDOC Week activities, while the Gold Industry Group West Australian Netball League will host Indigenous Round during Round 7 matches at the State Netball Centre and Eaton Recreation Centre on July 12 and 14.
Netball WA will also host its annual Midwest NAIDOC Netball Carnival and North-West NAIDOC Netball Carnival in the coming months.
Last year, Netball WA launched its 2018-2019 Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which sees the organisation strive to be a leader in driving reconciliation amongst its stakeholders.
Chief Executive Officer Simon Taylor said it was important for Netball WA to honour NAIDOC week.
“NAIDOC Week is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on, and celebrate, the strong relationship netball shares with the Indigenous communities of Western Australia,” Taylor said.
“Importantly, our Reconciliation Action Plan is not a standalone document; it is firmly embedded in our newly launched 2018-2022 Strategic Plan and 2018-2022 High Performance Plan.”
At the elite level, West Coast Fever celebrated Suncorp Super Netball’s League-wide Indigenous Round as well as the Club’s dedicated Shooting Stars Round during the Round 8 win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds, where both teams wore their Indigenous dresses.
The dress was designed by Noongar artists Peter Farmer and Kylie Graham, incorporating two major design features; separate Aboriginal women’s symbols representing each member of the playing squad, patterned onto a series of significant waterholes in Whadjuk Country.
In addition, Shooting Stars continues to affect genuine change in the lives of more than 350 participants in eight sites across the State.
The Program uses netball and other tools as the vehicles to drive greater engagement in school for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls living in WA’s remote and regional towns.
Importantly, the Program produces results, with more than 30% of participants having improved their attendance term on term, with 60% of participants maintaining an average attendance rate of 80% or above.
Furthermore, Shooting Stars is a key driver in creating equality for female leaders and generational change, with 75% of its staff and 50% of its Board identifying as Indigenous.
