NAIDOC 

NAIDOC jumpers: the inside story

Indigenous uniforms are becoming more and more prevalent in professional sporting codes - each design tells a story and every colour and symbol has deep significance to Australia’s Indigenous culture.

It was during a recent visit from Shaun Nannup where he spoke proudly and fondly of the Indigenous culture and his connection to country where the idea to create an Indigenous-inspired Canons basketball uniform and annual game as part of our College celebration, first came to light. The creation of these uniforms had to be more than just following a trend in professional sport, it was an opportunity to truly celebrate Indigenous culture and the wonderful impact that these students and their families have on our College community.

As a combined effort between the Physical Education department, Specialised Basketball Program and the Aboriginal Education Support within the College, it was our contribution towards increasing the College’s cultural literacy and connection to Indigenous Australians.

The project really started to come alive when we started to receive design submissions from students; each one being a unique blend of symbols and colours that had significant meaning to the artist. Speaking to each student about their submission, the pride that they felt was infectious and it was this feeling of pride which was a stark reminder of why projects like these, are so important. It is a truly special moment to show a student the finished product of their original pen and paper design. To some it may just be a uniform, but to others it is a personal interpretation of their cultural connection and its importance to them.

We were excited to unveil these uniform during the College’s NAIDOC Week Assembly, which was followed by an exhibition game between the NAIDOC All Stars and Canons All Stars, made up of students from the Canons Specialised Basketball Program. The plan now is to build on this concept by playing future exhibition games against other schools in 2020 and beyond. The Basketball Program will also aim to proudly use these uniforms across the different Canons teams in future basketball games and competitions.

The support for this project has been immense; thank you to Mr Harvey and the College Leadership team, Mrs Quartermain for her commitment to capturing this project as it evolved, the Canons Specialised Basketball Program, Mrs Martin for helping to facilitate and guide this project, and most importantly, our student designer Lachauntae Eades and the Indigenous students at St Norbert College who supported this initiative.

                                                                                                                                             Mr M Price (Head of Sport)