Cairns Hockey holds Indigenous Round for NAIDOC Week

Cairns Hockey Association in connection with the Aspire to be Deadly Indigenous Program have launched a special Indigenous Round this weekend as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations.

The inaugural Indigenous Round, which is named after life member, Rene Archer OAM (who made a significant contribution to junior hockey in Cairns and remote areas for over 40 years), officially began on Friday night with a traditional smoking ceremony followed by traditional welcome, singing and dancing.

Cairns Hockey community embraced this event with close to 300 -400 families with young children, players and friends of hockey attending the event.

One of the main features of the Round is that each of the hockey teams, officials and umpires will wear unique Indigenous uniforms.

The uniforms have been designed by Aspire to be Deadly First Nation Mentors combining both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture.

There is an online auction LIVE now where people can bid on the unique indigenous club, official and volunteer shirts being worn. This is a unique opportunity as only a very limited number of shirts will be offered for sale. Bidding closes on 19 July 2021.

All funds from the auction will go towards the design and construction of a new entrance structure at Cairns Hockey that welcomes and celebrates everyone from all cultures, abilities while highlighting the culture of traditional owners.

For hockey player and Aspire to be Deadly Youth Support Mentor Jess Fatnowa, this initiative and the uniforms have been five years of planning.

“I am extremely excited to be part of our first ever Indigenous Round as it will bring everyone together and help celebrate the First Nations People.”

“The Indigenous jerseys were drawn and designed by Carleah Flinders, and I was honoured to be involved in the storytelling shown through the artwork.

“It as a long process and a lot of changing but it all came together and I am excited to see the players wear them.”

In addition to the hockey and the uniforms, other activities across the weekend include indigenous food tastings, boomerang paintings for young people, weaving and artwork for sale.

Sisters Sarah and Bella Cochran, two Indigenous young women who have represented Souths Hockey Club, Cairns and Queensland Hockey, expressed their delight in being able to take part in the special occasion.

“I am so proud of the Aspire to be Deadly Program and Cairns Hockey for coming together to organize this year’s Indigenous Round,” said Sarah.

“I want to thank them for not only what they do for not only the Cairns Indigenous hockey community but Indigenous youth in Cairns.

“Being recognised in my local sport makes me even more proud to be of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.”

The Aspire to be Deadly Indigenous Program has been running since 2015. Hockey Australia started an active association with the program in 2018.

More information about Aspire to be Deadly can be found at Aspire To Be Deadly (aspirecairnshockey.com.au)

Story of the uniforms
The Wet Tropics including the Cairns region is the traditional land of Bama Aboriginal people and continues to be home to Aboriginal people from three main language groups and 15 clan groups. About 9 percent of the region's population is Indigenous - one of the highest populations of First People in Australia. The Yirrganydji and the Yidinji People (Gimuy), are the traditional owners and custodians of the land across the Cairns region.

In the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture each clan group has a totem to represent who they are. Totems connect people on a spiritual level providing a deeper connectivity to their clan, their traditional country, and the Dreaming. The connection to country is woven into their being, you speak to country, sing, worry and long for country – it is fundamental to identity.

Aspire to be Deadly Mentor and Ambassador – Carleah Flinders drove the main artistic design with Jess Fatnowna her colleague at Aspire including her own artistic flair to create a unique collaboration.

Carleah and Jess, through their design – looked to provide a connection with its club members to an animal that best reflected the spirit of each club. The indigenous patterns in the shirts reflect the journey each club has taken to this point in time, understanding that the journey continues. The circles represent past, present and emerging club members bound together in the spirit of the club. Existing club colours were respected throughout the process. This has been a deeply moving experience for the whole of the Aspire to be Deadly Team.

Totems are:
-    Souths (Black Cockatoo)
-    Saints (Shark)
-    Stingers (Jellyfish)
-    Brothers (Goanna)