The culture and history of Australia's First Nations people were celebrated at a NAIDOC event at Orange Hospital on Thursday.
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The celebration was in line with this year's NAIDOC theme Heal Country, which calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect, maintain and embrace all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, heritage and knowledge.
Wiradjuri elders Uncle Neil Ingram and Aunty Alice Williams participated in the event with Mr Ingram offering the Welcome to Country and raising the flags while Aunty Alice spoke about Aboriginal horticulture and connection to country.
She said the recognition brought by NAIDOC was important as was recognising the importance of culture and country and that First Nations People have been here for about 60,000 to 80,000 years and are believed to be part of the oldest continuous culture on earth.
"It's really important and it's a way for us to talk about Country and educate people about Aboriginal Australia and what that land means to us, it's not about money, it's about passing down our knowledge," Aunty Alice said.
"A lot of people don't understand how many Aboriginal nations we had before colonisation."
She said passing down the knowledge was also about succession planning for another thousand generations.
Orange Health Service general manager Catherine Nowlan said the hospital is committed to making meaningful gains in Aboriginal health.
"As healthcare professionals we need to understand the importance of both physical and spiritual well-being for the Aboriginal people we serve," she said. "This includes recognising and understanding their significant connection to Country."
Mr Nolan said staff and attendees were encouraged to pay their respects to First Nations culture and history, and recognise their own connection to Country as well.
They were invited to participate by placing a sticker footprint on the Country they are connected to on a map of Australia that illustrates the 250 First Nations tribes.
NAIDOC Week celebrations began in Orange on Friday, October 29 and run through until Saturday, November 6.
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