Even with NAIDOC Week falling outside of term time, there was no way Chatham High School was going to let the occasion pass without celebrating it in true 'deadly' style.
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And celebrate they did, with this year's theme being 'Get up, stand up, show up', students were encouraged to engage in all the activities on offer, and to have fun while learning along the way.
The event was organised by proud Biripi woman Hope Labutis-Mays, community engagement officer for Chatham High School, who was happy for students to let their interest guide their engagement.
"We don't have it in a set format, it's just so the kids can go and try everything because if you force them to go to something they don't don't generally want to do it," Hope said.
"So we try to have every activity that they can just walk up to sit down, have a yarn with the people doing the activities and just enjoy it and learn some Aboriginal culture along the way".
With more than 40 per cent of students identifying as Indigenous, NAIDOC celebrations mark an important date on the school's cultural calendar. In an atmosphere of inclusion, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike revelled in activities ranging from weaving, painting, dance, and even a jumping castle.
"Kids are more open to experiencing other cultures and experiencing what we're all about. We try to teach it every day through our learnings in the classroom, but it's really good for them to experience those learnings because you learned by experience," Hope said.
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