Today at my sons' school they are having a heap of activities to celebrate NAIDOC day. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and is a day to celebrate the culture of Australia's indigenous people.
Growing up as a kid in Melbourne I honestly didn't have much to do with aboriginal culture at all. My school was mostly caucasian with a healthy smattering of Greeks, Italians and Vietnamese immigrants.
Up here in Cairns my children get the wonderful opportunity to get more in touch with our indigenous culture. They both have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids in their classes and get the chance to learn all about their cultures.
Of course Cape York, to our north, is home to many indigenous communities that retain strong ties to their traditional cultures and every year they host the wonderful Laura Dance Festival, where this image of the Mornington Island Dancers was taken.
Wherever you are in the world I am sure you are surrounded by people of different cultures, both indigenous and imported. I've always found my cameras provide great access to people and places I otherwise would never have had the chance to explore. Why not take the time to photograph a culture different from your own? You'll improve your photography skills, meet new people and discover a side of your own community that you may never have known existed.
Click on over to my website to see some more images of indigenous culture from Cape York
and come over to Facebook and join me on the Have Camera Will Travel page.
