Year seven students were the first to participate in NAIDOC Week workshops and activities at Taree High School.
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The school kicked off celebrations on Monday, November 23 and will continue throughout the week with language, dance, art and nature workshops.
A special NAIDOC Week all school assembly was held and featured performances of the cleansing dance and fish dance by the Aboriginal dance group.
Uncle Russell Saunders and Fiona Corcoran performed 'The Fire and the Flood' before students headed out to the activities.
The dance group was more than happy to repeat the performances on the sand pit for the Times to record (see below).
WATCH: Taree High School NAIDOC Week celebrations kick off
Uncle Russell hosted a chalk art workshop and updated students on the progress of a mural. More on the mural later this week.
Students were also guided on an art project, taking place on an outside wall of the school hall.
Community engagement leader Jay Davis hosted a Gathang language class while students wrote phrases on cut-out hands and stuck them to a wall near the front office entrance.
At the end of the week, enough hands will be added to form the Aboriginal flag.
Each year group will be cycled through the activities throughout the week.
School principal Allison Alliston said NAIDOC Week activities acknowledge the oldest living culture in the world.
"We're doing lots of activities for the kids to understand the theme 'always was always will be' and to treasure the land we live on, the land of the Biripi people," Allison explained.
Meanwhile, the school has found an alternative to the annual, and popular, NAIDOC Night.
Performances will be live streamed on the Pluto Entertainment Facebook page between November 23 and 27.
They start at 7pm and finish at approximately 7.45pm each night and feature local Aboriginal talent.
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