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A NAIDOC Week gathering at Young District Hospital, attended by hospital staff, Young Mercy Care representatives and members of the public, has highlighted the importance of culturally safe health care and the role Aboriginal health staff play across the Murrumbidgee region.
The morning tea, Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony were held as part of NAIDOC Week, which this year marks 50 years of recognising and celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Murrumbidgee Local Health District Aboriginal Health Liaison Officer Len Connolly led the Smoking Ceremony at Young, one of seven towns he was visiting across four days as part of regional NAIDOC Week activities.
Mr Connolly said the ceremony held deep cultural significance and helped create a safe and respectful space for people to gather.
“The Smoking Ceremony is very significant,” Mr Connolly said.
“It is a cleansing ceremony. It helps clear away anything that should not be there, so people can come together in a safe and respectful space.”
While the event was a celebration of culture, it also carried a strong health message.
Mr Connolly said Aboriginal health staff across the region provided education and support for Elders and community members managing chronic and complex health conditions.
He said health education around healthy eating, exercise and prevention remained an important part of that work.
“Diabetes is one of the biggest issues in our community,” he said.
“For a lot of older people, it is the chronic health side of things — understanding healthy eating, exercise and looking after themselves.”
The timing of the Young event also coincided with Diabetes Week, strengthening the link between cultural recognition and health awareness.
The gathering reflected the important role culturally safe care can play in building trust with Aboriginal people and supporting better engagement with health services.
It also brought together representatives from health, aged care, local government and community, including Murrumbidgee Local Health District District Operations Manager Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Adam Howie, Mercy Care Centre Director of Nursing Mary-Lou Cusack, Young Mayor Brian Ingram, Young District Hospital Facility Manager Jessica Pavese, Mr Connolly and Aboriginal Lands Council representative Marnie Freeman.
By bringing NAIDOC celebrations into a hospital setting, the event recognised that health care is not only about treatment. It is also about respect, culture, connection and understanding.
The Young gathering gave staff, residents, patients and visitors an opportunity to take part in a shared act of recognition, while acknowledging the year-round work of Aboriginal health staff across the district.
For those who gathered at Young, the ceremony was a reminder that stronger health outcomes begin with trust, community and culturally safe care.