During Reconciliation week, staff at the TASC Toowoomba office participated in an office and personal smoking ceremony with Alan Martin.
A smoking ceremony is an ancient aboriginal custom in Australia that involves burning various native plants to produce smoke, which has cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits from the people and the land and make a pathway for a brighter future. “We thank Alan Martin “Rainbow Warrior” proud Gungarri man for sharing his time and traditional cultural practices today at TASC. The ceremony has created a foundation to cleanse and heal us individually and together as a team take forward the shared strength to continue to be of service to the community championing social justice for all”, Frances Klaassen, TASC CEO, said.
The National Reconciliation Week’s theme for 2022 is ‘Be Brave. Make Change’. This is a call for all Australian to be brave in their daily lives and to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so all Australians can benefit through an equal and united front. National unity will only be possible if we are brave and bold enough to call this out wherever we find it. “It was a beautiful event and such an important message for us to all continue hearing and absorbing. So much to learn about personal wellbeing, connection and healing from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. A real gift to be able to have the opportunity to do some of that learning and connection at work”, Michelle Burrows, TASC Project Worker – Self–Help Advocacy Tool Project, mentioned. We are looking forward to NAIDOC Week which commences Sunday, July 3 and we will be joining the event on July 4 at the Goods Shed in Victoria St. We look forward to seeing you there