USQ Celebrates NAIDOC Week

The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) is offering people the opportunity to marvel at the 

intricacies of Indigenous Art, listen to the Didgeridoo and taste traditional Bush Tucker during NAIDOC celebrations on Friday 7 July 2006.

Maree Toombs is an Associate Lecturer in the Kumbari/Ngurpai Lag Higher Education Centre and will address staff and students about 20 Years of Indigenous Education at USQ and NAIDOC, as part of the celebrations.

Maree said this year's theme is particularly relevant to her.

"Each year NAIDOC has a theme. In the past these themes have represented issues important to Indigenous people," Maree said.

"Respect the past and believe in the future is the theme for 2006 and I have reflected on these words and what they mean to me as a proud Aboriginal woman and the many experiences that have shaped who I am today.

"I grew up in a small country town in NSW where my brother and I were two of only five black kids in town.

"This was a very difficult time and as a result, education was not important to me. My experiences at school were quite negative and my reading, writing and numeracy were far below the class average," she said.

As a result Maree left school half way through Year 12 and worked as a fruit picker and in hospitality for five years before moving to Queensland.

"I moved to Toowoomba and with some reassurance from my husband, approached Kumbari in 1992, where I was met by a woman called Gwen Curry, who at the time terrified me.

"She asked me who my mob was and what I wanted to do. Not really knowing the answer to the second part of her question replied I don't know."

With some guidance Maree enrolled in a twelve month Bridging program before completing a four year Bachelor of Education degree.

"During that time the Kumbari/Ngurapi Lag Centre was my refuge and offered me support both emotionally as well as academically".

"I believe that I would not have got through my degree without the support of staff and peers at Kumbari."

Maree said her story is just one story coming out of the Kumbari Ngurpai Lag Centre, which has offered hundreds of Indigenous people a reason to believe in the future for two decades.

"It is with great pride and respect that we mark the 20th anniversary of Kumbari Ngurpai Lag this NAIDOC Week," Maree said.

Media Contact: Connie-Louise Alexander, USQ Media, 07 4631 2977 or 0439 760 106