IN PICTURES: Wabinny Time Playground celebrates NAIDOC early as semester wraps up

NAIDOC week was celebrated early with at the Waabiny Time Playgroup on the last day of term on Tuesday, with children taking part in games, songs, stories, and crafts. The children were regaled with stories about Noongar culture and enjoyed a kangaroo soup, rissoles and damper. Parent Kellie Woods screen-printed NAIDOC shirts for the children and taught other parents with a design she created, incorporating elements of her late father’s artwork to acknowledge the importance of passing down knowledge. Rebecca Stephens MLA joined the festivities and said the visit was a “ray of sunshine”. “It was lovely to see so many kids and parents getting together to play and connect,” she said. Great Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation chair Jeanice Krakouer said the gathering at the playgroup was a “great celebration” of this year’s NAIDOC theme in its lead-up. “This year’s NAIDOC theme is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud, and we want to show our koolangkas (children) the importance of having pride in our culture and celebrating our stories,” she said. The Waabiny Time Playgroup is a weekly GSNAC and Playgroup WA supported playgroup for Noongar children and their parents, and operates out of St Joseph’s College in Spencer Park every Tuesday during the school term.