Always Was, Always Will Be, is the theme for NAIDOC Week 2020.
YWCA Australia pays tribute to First Nations people today, and each and every day as we walk together in celebrating and recognising First Nations culture and connection to country.
In honour to our community and Elders, we wish to pay special respect to Aunty Dorothy Gordon, who was a member of the YWCA Our Happy Women group in Northern New South Wales. She was a community leader and Elder of the Bundjalung people. With permission from her family, we dedicate this video to her and her commitment to her community and country.
Note – We have sought permission from the family to share this video of Aunty Dorothy. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this video may contain images and voices of people who have died.
Tribute to Aunty Dorrie
Aunty Dorrie was a very much loved Elder, a true custodian of the Bundjalung nation who grew up at Cubawee in Lismore, NSW.
Aunty Dorrie had a great wealth of knowledge that had a big impact in our communities. She kept our culture alive with us here at YWCA here in Northern Rivers. She was like a book that we all treasured and cherished, an encyclopedia that lives on each and everyone of us who knew her.
She did lots of Welcome to Country’s at our events and engaged with us in the community in so many ways. She loved working with all our little Jarjums through story-telling, imparting her cultural knowledge and yarning in Bundjalung language with them.
Aunty Dorrie was a big part of the Our Happy Women group and was very supportive with her cultural advice and her gentle approach with all the ladies. She often enjoyed being as part of our fashion shows, our art exhibitions and our events. Aunty Dorrie will be very sadly missed by all of us.
Aunty Dorrie would often give me cultural advice and support that guided me with everything. The last advice I asked her was “Aunty, why does it get so hard sometimes to do the work that I do?” and she replied “Mim, many are called but few are chosen.“ I knew at that moment and from those words of wisdom that my work is not finished yet. I love her with all of my whole heart.
Aunty Mim (Amelia Bolt), YWCA Cultural Community Engagement Facilitator
We also acknowledge all First Nations people, Elders past and present and First Nations communities across the country, and community people and leaders who have and continue to seek recognition to land and sea rights throughout the country.
This land was never ceded, for it Always Was, Always Will Be.
