Cultural Elements
This year, the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference is being hosted on Gadigal land in Sydney, NSW.
With the support of our Aboriginal health partner, the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) of NSW, OTCC 2019 conference organisers are proud to showcase an array of cultural elements throughout the conference program.
Welcome to Country
A ‘Welcome to Country’ is extended as a sign of respect for the traditional owners of the Land, and to give recognition to our elders both past and present. An acknowledgement is a way for non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people not from that land and/or area to show their respect to the Traditional Owners.
Yvonne Weldon is the Chairperson of the Sydney Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC) and will be welcoming OTCC delegates to Gadigal land. Yvonne is a proud Wiradjuri woman and maintains strong ties to her homelands of Cowra and the Riverina areas in New South Wales.
Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council is the legislated authority for representation of all Aboriginal people and body responsible for protection and preservation of local Aboriginal culture and heritage of the prescribed area and its boundaries. OTCC have worked closely with MLALC to ensure the local Indigenous land is respected and Aboriginal culture highlighted throughout the event.
Conference Artwork
Zachary Bennett-Brook from Saltwater Dreamtime has been commissioned to create an artwork for OTCC 2019.
Zachary is the owner of Saltwater Dreamtime and is a contemporary Indigenous artist of Torres Strait Islander ancestry born and raised in Dharawal Country (Wollongong). He has a love for the ocean and creating artworks which represent his surroundings and passions.
The purpose of this artwork is to highlight local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and reflect the conference theme, ‘Making Tobacco Control a Priority’, through Indigenous art.
The artwork has a number of different circular sections (both lines and dots) which represent different community groups, people and loved ones. All of these circles are painted in bright and vibrant colours reflecting the overall colour theme of the OTCC logo. However, one of these circles has been painted in grey tones which represents someone who uses tobacco or a person trying to give up. All the other bright and vibrant circles around the grey circle symbolizes the important role community plays in providing support. These have all been painted with different sections overlapping each other to showcase people working in harmony and together as one towards a positive goal.
This artwork will spark conversation and contribute to creating a culturally sensitive and inclusive conference where people from all over the region can come together to share their knowledge and experiences of tobacco control openly. By telling a visual story at OTCC, we hope to highlight the importance of engaging and collaborating with the Indigenous community and share the common goal of tackling tobacco.
Cultural Heritage Lunchtime Walks
On Wednesday 23rd of October and Thursday 24th October (Day Two and Three), Brendan 'Japangardi' Kerin, will be hosting cultural heritage walks during lunch time around the local area of Pyrmont. On these walks, Brendan will use his traditional knowledge of the bush and Aboriginal culture to educate delegates on Aboriginal music, dance, artefacts, tools and bush tucker. Brendan is also a Yidaki (Didgeridoo) player and brings to life Dreamtime and modern stories and the sounds of native animals.
Should you wish to attend the cultural heritage walks, delegates can meet Brendan near the registration desk with walks commencing at 12:45pm and returning at 1:30pm. Lunch boxes are available for delegates who wish to take part in the cultural heritage walks. These are located directly opposite the registration desk.
These walks provide a great opportunity for delegates to learn about Aboriginal culture and we encourage you to take part in this unique experience.
Please remember to wear comfortable shoes and sun protection when taking part in the walks!
Dreamtime Spectacular Dance Performance
The Koomurri Foundation is Australia’s number one self-funded, Aboriginal owned, cultural education and performance team. Koomurri combines ceremony and dance to deliver world-class performances that aim to share Indigenous culture across Australia and internationally.
As part of OTCC 2019, Koomurri’s cultural dance troupe will be performing a “Dreamtime Spectacular” to take place during the Conference Dinner on Wednesday 23rd October (Day Two). This concert style dance show features a song man, didgeridoo player and traditional dancers in full Indigenous dress.
Yarning Circle
OTCC 2019 will feature an Indigenous Yarning Circle where Indigenous and non-Indigenous brothers and sisters can come to listen, network and yarn about Indigenous health and tobacco.
The Yarning Circle is proudly hosted by our Aboriginal health partner, the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council, and is located on Level One of the Loft.
Cultural Liaisons
Throughout the conference, there will be various Cultural Liaison contacts available for delegates. These contacts will include representatives from Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island Indigenous groups and will attend the yarning circle at various times over the three days.
If you would like to get in contact with a Cultural Liaison, please use the messaging function on the conference app or visit the registration desk for more information. Alternatively, you can contact the OTCC team via email at otcc2019@nswcc.org.au