NAIDOC celebrations begin in Ballina
NAIDOC Week celebrations began in Ballina today with a march up River Street.
About 150 people took part, but an organiser, David Kapeen, expressed disappointment at the lack of non-Indigenous Australians in the march.
The march finished near the library, where Bundjalung Elder Aunty Bertha Kapeen was a speaker at the flag-raising, along with Member for Ballina Don Page.
A highlight of Ballina’s NAIDOC Celebrations this year will be the performance of a play written by Monica Kapeen, of Ballina.
The play is based on Monica’s story, Hopping, which tells how Aboriginal men would fish for mullet at night.
The men would wait until the moon was at its least visible, and take to their canoes with lighted torches. The mullet would then jump into the boat.
The play will be performed at Ballina Players Theatre at 6pm on July 13.
Tickets can be purchased at La Boutique in River Street (phone 6686 2662) or Bunjum Co-operative in Tamar Street (phone 6686 5644).
The theme for NAIDOC this year is ‘Looking Forward, Looking Blak’.
PICTURE: Some of the NAIDOC marchers in River Street, Ballina, today.
