Reflection and celebration: First Nations artists urge allies to 'get into' NAIDOC Week

First Nations artists say there are many ways for both Indigenous people and allies to be 'loud and proud', the theme of this year's NAIDOC Week celebrations.

Indigenous artists (left to right) Mau Power, Konstantina, Mitch Tambo and Jazz Money have encouraged all Australians to get involved in NAIDOC Week.

Konstantina (Kate Constantine) is an artist and a proud Gadigal woman of the Eora nation.

She specialises in re-imagining the traditions of her people’s dot painters and providing a modern narrative for all Australians to better understand First Nations people as part of the fabric of Australia.

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

"NAIDOC Week is very important for us mob. It is like Blackfella Christmas! It is a week where we get to celebrate our black excellence across many many fields," Konstantina said.

Konstantina (Kate Constantine) is an artist and proud Gadigal woman of the Eora nation. Credit: Supplied

She said she loved NAIDOC Week as it was an opportunity for her people to be proud of who they were not only in their own communities but also outside in the mainstream.

"This year’s theme is ‘Black! Loud and Proud’ and I think there are many ways to be loud and proud. You don’t have to be the one that shouts the loudest. You can be the one that is the quietest and still be proud of who you are and where you have come from," she said.

Mau Power, a Dhoebaw man of the Guda Malullgal who grew up on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait, is the first Australian rapper to tour from the islands.

In his NAIDOC Week message, Power called on First Nations artists to get up, show up and showcase culture to heed the call to action voiced in this year’s theme.

Mau Power, born Patrick James Mau, is a hip hop artist from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait and is the first Australian rapper to tour from this region. Source: Supplied

"When we get the opportunity to speak about culture, speak about the history of the journey, it is very important to take that opportunity because, if you are the spokesperson today, you are educating the next generation," Power said.

He also reminded mob to never forget the path paved by their elders through hardship and sacrifice.

"The (NAIDOC community) and also the celebrations would not be here if it was not for those staunch, resilient elders moving the agenda forward," he said.

For him, it was not only a time to celebrate but also a time to reflect on the achievements and the journey travelled.

This is something Jazz Money, a Wiradjuri poet and artist based on Gadigal land, agrees with.

Money delves into the profound meaning behind her work, exploring how joy can be both a tender, domestic space, and a radical act of resistance, particularly in the context of colonialism.

Jazz Money is a poet and artist of Wiradjuri and Irish heritage currently based on Gadigal Country in Sydney. Credit: Supplied

"I use joy as a form of thinking about the complex experience of First Nations people," she said.

"It includes everything that happened to us. It includes laughter; it includes our tears. And I think that we have been, for so long, been told that our tears are the only story that takes place here," Money said.

"My practice is to talk about how we survive and thrive in a self-determined and sovereign way and sovereign body in a continent that always has been and always will be Aboriginal land."

Connection to country and culture is a message that Gamilaroy artist Mitch Tambo also believes is key to NAIDOC Week celebrations.

In his message, Tambo emphasised celebrating his people’s resilience.

Mitch Tambo, Gamilaroy man, didgeridoo player, traditional dancer and singer. Credit: Fernando Barraza

"(It's the) idea of getting up, standing up and keeping the fire burning, whatever it is you know … it is about keeping our culture alive, keeping it strong, keeping community strong, celebrating community. Just coming together above all the overrepresentation in statistics and celebrate," he said.

"Celebrate our people, celebrate our achievements, and celebrate our survival. And celebrate life."

Allies encouraged to join in

The artists all said celebrations were not limited to mob as NAIDOC Week also offered an opportunity for allies to reflect, support and engage with First Nations people.

Power encouraged allies to engage with First Nations artists and communities and also to partner with them, something he was already doing.

"Working in partnership is something I’m very passionate about right now. And I work in partnership with any culture, any background, any business as long as their values fit my values," Power said.

Tambo echoed Power’s call to engage and support First Nations artists and communities adding that it was vital to break down barriers. 

“Get into our music events, get into our films, get people into your schools, just open your hearts and minds, and start walking in it … You’ll start realising that a lot of the fears that you have around Aboriginal people or stereotypes are based on secondhand knowledge,” he said.

“Come into our communities and see, and feel, and partake in the beauty of our culture. Feel the love of our elders and people, feel the joy of our kids and community and be immersed. And you’ll see how loving and beautiful and authentic our communities are."