Niina marni: Kaurna welcome begins NAIDOC celebrations

Monday, 24 June 2024

Cecil Buckskin is proud to welcome passengers to Adelaide Railway Station on Kaurna Yerta as NAIDOC celebrations begin across the public transport network.

In the spirit of belonging and connection to Country, the Kaurna man and Cultural Liaison Officer at the Department for Infrastructure and Transport is sharing his story on platform screens at the station in a NAIDOC Week-first for Adelaide Metro.

Flanked by Karrawirra Pari - Red Gum Forest River, or the River Torrens - Adelaide Railway Station sits beside traditional camping and ceremonial grounds near an ancient Dreaming Track that linked north and south.

Cecil hopes his welcome, now looping on platform screens at the station until 14 July, will capture people’s attention on their daily commute and encourage them to reflect on Kaurna culture.

“This is me showing my heart saying welcome to my Country,’’ Cecil said.

“Tarndanya (the place of the Red Kangaroo) is a place of meeting in Adelaide. Take a quiet minute to picture what used to be here, and you can feel the culture around us - in the wind, the water, the trees, down by the river.”

Following on from Cecil’s welcome on the Adelaide Metro network, the Urapun Muy (One Fire) tram enters service today ahead of NAIDOC Week from 7-14 July.

The tram design was created by Torres Strait Islander and national NAIDOC poster competition winner Deb Belyea. The artwork shows ancestors hands placing an ember into a burning fire and represents the sharing of cultural knowledge from one generation to the next.

The South Australian-based Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation’s Shield, and the NAIDOC Week theme - ‘Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud’ - is incorporated in the tram design, and in digital signage across the network.

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held nationally each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“We are here to keep that fire burning in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, and people from all cultures, for generations to come,’’ Cecil said.