Joanne Cassidy says it was dream of hers to win the NAIDOC Week poster competition when she first entered the competition 20 years ago, and she has finally achieved her dream after winning this year's NAIDOC Week Poster Competition for 2017.
"Your Tribe, My Tribe, Our Nation,' honors this year's NAIDOC Week theme - Our Language Matters." Joanne says, "I really wanted to make all the language groups inclusive with the poster."
Joanne says not all the language groups are on the poster, she hand wrote 387 language names and is still learning and documenting them as part of her journey.
Language does matter to Joanne and her and her children, she was taught some Wiradjuri words by her family but has been learning more phrases through the use of the Wiradjuri phone app produced by Wiradjuri Study Centre with Dr Stan Grant Senior and Dr John Rudder.
"We can sometimes be degraded by the media as a lower class, so speaking language on country makes you feel proud," Joanne says.
Another reason why Joanne Cassidy feels honored to achieve her dream winning the competition, is because of her Grandmother's legacy and involvement with the history of NAIDOC Week.
"My Nan, Louise England was part of the day of morning marching on January 26 1938, and that's when NAIDOC Week was born, that's the connection." She says.
"It was a dream, I wanted to enter so many times and life gets in the way and when I finally did, the first time I entered was 20 years ago and 20 years later, I'm over the moon." -Joanne Cassidy 2017 NAIDOC Poster Competition winner.
