Paige Smith, Jarome Cross and Kashayla Austin with (front) Jasmine Corbett, Gina Williams and Kearah Ronan at the Swan View Senior High School Naidoc assembly.
Camera IconPaige Smith, Jarome Cross and Kashayla Austin with (front) Jasmine Corbett, Gina Williams and Kearah Ronan at the Swan View Senior High School Naidoc assembly. Credit: Supplied/David Baylis

Swan View SHS marks Naidoc Week with showcase of indigenous achievement in community

Lauren PedenMidland Kalamunda Reporter

AN assembly celebrating the start of Naidoc Week was held at Swan View Senior High School recently.

The assembly showcased the achievements of the school’s Aboriginal students and the local Aboriginal community.

The audience was given a moving performance from Balladong Noongar woman and 2017 Western Australian of the Year (Aboriginal Category) Gina Williams who shared her story and sang original songs in Noongar.

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The 2017 Miss Naidoc Kearah Ronan and Miss Kwobidak Jasmine Corbett, a Swan View Senior High School graduate, spoke about their personal journeys, struggles and successes as young Indigenous women.

The stars of the show were Swan View’s Aboriginal students from the Follow the Dream and Kwobidak Yoka Flourish Programs and Swan View Clontarf Academy.

They presented contemporary dance, original rap song and poetry recitals including an extract from a Shakespearean sonnet translated into Noongar.

The theme for this year’s Naidoc Week was Our Languages Matter.

Principal Melesha Sands said she was proud that Swan View’s assembly promoted Australia’s original languages in all their richness and beauty as a national treasure for all Australians.

“Our Naidoc assembly is an opportunity to not only acknowledge and celebrate our own students but to celebrate and grow our understanding of the world’s oldest living culture,” she said.

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