As we celebrate NAIDOC week, one proud First Nations person from our NSW team has a strong message to share: “Take your shoes off and touch the land!”   

The theme this year is “For Our Elders”, and Sam, an interim People and Culture Business Partner, brings a unique perspective to the conversation.  

“My uncle is an Elder, and he’s a proud Barkindji man from Broken Hill in Western NSW,” Sam said.  

“But I grew up on Yuin land which is on the Far South Coast of NSW and my father’s Mob is the Monaro Mob which is near Mount Kosciuszko.”  

When asked about the theme for NAIDOC Week, “For Our Elders,” Sam emphasises the values of respect and warmth.  

“Respect is the first thing that comes to mind – the Elders are the owners of tradition and they teach that and pass it down. For me, it also means warmth. I’ve always been warmly welcomed to what I can only describe as a wide family.” 

Exploring the roles and responsibilities of his uncle as an elder, Sam sheds light on how elders play a crucial role in passing down language, cultural norms, and knowledge.  

“Elders also teach you your totems, I have three – one is your family, one is your mob and you also have an individual totem,” he said. 

“It’s your connection to the land and in my Mob, you get to hunt it and eat it once, and then never again. 

“A lot of these customs are introduced around puberty, it’s like your coming of age.” 

When asked about a memorable experience with his uncle, Sam recalls an outing Mutawintji National Park, where only elders are permitted to hunt.  

“They took me out to hunt kangaroo and emu out there,” he said. 

“I learned how to butcher them and cook them in traditional ways – I felt I came out of it with a connection to land and people. Not many people can say they’ve done that; it’s a pretty unique experience.” 

This NAIDOC week, Sam is encouraging people to seek out local elders and have engaging conversations.  

“Find your local Elders and ask them questions – they can tell you why they do things and what stories they have in your local area,” he said.  

“The local lands council is a good way to start, they can connect you with your local Elders.”  

“And take your shoes off and touch the land – you don’t have to be Indigenous to feel that connection to nature.”