Ailan dancing in the far outback at Longreach

BY CARLI WILLIS

For the four years Alice Sagigi has participated in NAIDOC celebrations, she has proudly shared ailan culture in her new outback home in far western Queensland.

Ms Sagigi lived in Bamaga for most of her life, but since 2015 she has lived almost 2000 kilometres away, on Iningai Country in Longreach.

“For me, we as parents, like, we need to carry on that tradition and teach our kids especially our culture,” she said.

“With our elders, we need to support them and make sure we’re there for them to listen and for them to pass down the knowledge to us so we can pass it on to our kids and our grandkids.”

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Every Sunday for months leading up to NAIDOC week, Ms Sagigi taught primary school and high school young people ailan dancing.

“Mainly Gumi Rangadh, that’s my Athes’ favourite from Badu, it’s an easy dance to teach them kids,” she said.

“The kids loved it –they enjoyed it – all the community enjoyed the traditional dancing.”

Ms Sagigi said NAIDOC week was a good way for people to learn more about First Nations people.

She said not many people in the outback knew where the Torres Strait was.

“The traditional food I cooked, it just went like wildfire, everybody dug in and come for leftovers,” she said.

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“That means a lot to me. I like showing my culture to them or sharing my culture with them.”