WIPCE invitation

The World Indigenous Peoples' Conference on Education is on in Melbourne at the moment. I went to the opening festival on Sunday at the Aborigines Advancement League and was duly swept up in the excitement and emotion of such a large gathering of proud indigenous people from all over the world.

It's extra special for me too, cos some of the people I work with from up north are visiting Melbourne to attend the conference. So we've been doing all the tourist things like going to the Queen Victoria Market (good: the food! bad: seeing all the 'Made in China' Aboriginal souvenirs), visiting my family, going up the Eureka Tower. It's great to be able to play host in return for once!

Being at the opening festival was also an amazing lesson in indigenous solidarity: getting commentary from my co-collaborators on their thoughts about all the various performances we witnessed from Māori, Hawai'ians, Canadian First Nations peoples, Ainu, Thursday Islanders, and Saami.

I'm not attending the actual conference, but am planning to attend the closing night this Thursday at the Tennis Centre. It's open to the public and is very affordable at $15. Big names like Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter and Kev Carmody are performing, as well as traditional performances by the delegates. They blew me away on Sunday at the opening festival. Tix are available from Ticketek, and are not allocated seating. Hope to see you there!!