Speech by Consul-General Heidi Bootle at the Reception for the Black Arm Band
I am delighted to welcome you this evening to celebrate the visit of the musicians from Murundak: Songs of Freedom, and of ten years of NAIDOC week in New Caledonia. I am particularly pleased to welcome Lou, Emma and Deline; as well as LCDR Aaron Cox and part of his HMAS Gascoyne crew.
I would also like to sincerely thank: the team at the Vice-Rectorate, in particular the Kanak Education Centre for Language and Culture, Danielle Qenegei-Guanere and Yves Jacquier; the ANZ bank, in particular its Director Felicia Garnier, who is sponsoring this evening; and the Australian-New-Caledonian Business Council- New Caledonia, which works, as we do, to augment bilateral trade and investment between our two countries.
Lou, Emma and Deline have just returned to Noumea after having visited the Northern Province, and they will next visit Lifou. They are participating in educational exchanges on culture and identity with school students learning Kanak languages, held in conjunction with screenings of the documentary film ‘Murundak: Songs of Freedom’.
This visit follows the immense success of their stay in New Caledonia in 2012, during which Murundak was very warmly welcomed by the public, as were Emma and Lou during their concerts.
This visit reinforces other projects that we have developed over the last few weeks in New Caledonia to celebrate the culture and talent of Australian Indigenous communities. We have also had the visit of the cultural group from the Darnley Islands and the film screening, at the Tjibaou Cultural Centre, of The Sapphires.
The Sapphires film was very well received, including by many of you who are present here tonight. And as a nice connection with the Black Arm Band visit, I note that there are many links between the Sapphires and Lou, Emma and Deline, including that we hear Lou’s beautiful voice in the film – perhaps Lou will tell you where.
Once more, this visit and the concerts that they are giving to schools throughout New Caledonia are an excellent way to celebrate the cultural diversity of Australia and to promote a greater understanding of populations, cultures and aspirations of indigenous peoples.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we hope you enjoy the evening and I will now hand over to Ms Lou Bennett, Emma Donovan and Deline Briscoe.
