by Bonnie Collings
Locals gathered at the West Gippsland Arts Centre forecourt yesterday morning for the official opening of Baw Baw Shire's NAIDOC Week celebrations.
The 2024 NAIDOC Week theme is "Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud", honouring the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture.
Kurnai elder Aunty Cheryl Drayton welcomed everyone to country and led a smoking ceremony, explaining how the ceremony was an act of cleansing.
"Cleansing is all about making sure you don't have any bad entities that have clung to your body," she said.

In her address, Aunty Cheryl also emphasised that everyone was a custo