Grants celebrate reconciliation
CAIRNS Hockey Association has received a share of $157,500 awarded to eight organisations in the Far North as part of the Celebrating Reconciliation Grant.
All of the recipients have received money to run events as part of this year’s National Reconciliation Week.
Cairns Hockey Association mentor Jess Fatnowna said it was awesome to have the funding.
“I believe it’s really important; me playing hockey when I was younger, we didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate First Nations people, especially myself being Indigenous,” Ms Fatnowna said.
“We didn’t get an opportunity to play locally for our mob.”
Part of the money will go towards two Indigenous rounds. One for NAIDOC week and another for National Reconciliation Week.
“Everyone’s embracing it and learning a lot about who we are and having the kids look up to us watching us play,” Ms Fatnowna said.
She said it meant a lot to have two rounds this year because it added to the celebration of Indigenous culture within the Far North hockey fraternity.
The other part of the funding will assist in creating some Indigenous-designed uniforms.
Torres Shire Council also received support for their reconciliation event. Chief executive Dalassa Yorkson said the funding meant people in the Cape and Torres region could come together and celebrate.
“Building strong relationships within our community supports reconciliation and builds respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives,” she said.
The theme for Reconciliation Week this year is be brave and make change.
“We want to challenge individuals, families, communities, organisations and government – to be brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can make change for the benefit of all Australians,” Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Craig Crawford said.
The recipients include Mossman Support Services, Synapse Australia, Cairns City Lions Australian Football Club, Northern Peninsula Regional Council and PCYC Aurukun and Muunthiwarra Aboriginal Corporation.