July 2015 Dinner Meeting: Indigenous Women’s Issues

In acknowledgement of 2015 NAIDOC week theme – We all Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate, indigenous women’s issues were presented at the Warwick Zonta Club’s July meeting. Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were invited to attend this dinner meeting and Kayleen Wallace, Indigenous Health worker at Warwick Hospital, was guest speaker at the dinner.

Kayleen presented information on NAIDOC, and some of the local community engagement activities with indigenous women.   The 2015 theme for NAIDOC week ‘We all stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate’ highlights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s strong spiritual and cultural connection to land and sea. As part of the celebrations for NAIDOC week in Warwick, there was a bush tucker tasting at Warwick Hospital, and the Family Fun Day in the park. Kayleen has advised that Family Fun Day is to be held again in 2016, and has invited Zonta Club of Warwick to participate. We were also interested to hear of the Warwick Indigenous Network Group (WING) and Yarning Circle – a current project being undertaken is cooking classes for young indigenous girls. Kayleen is keen to have stronger community involvement, and we will continue to liaise with her and present information at forthcoming meetings.

Jacinta Fromm and Kayleen Wallace