For children, the Dreamtime Connections art workshop meant they got "their hands dirty" as they expressed their respect for Indigenous art culture. But for facilitator, local Gamilaraay man, Aaron Chatfield the event had a much deeper meaning.
Kicking off NAIDOC Week celebrations on Monday local children participated in an art workshop at Cooleman Court Shopping Centre where they learnt about First Nations art while they painted their own wooden boomerangs.
Eight-year-old Kassandra Burden painted her boomerang red, yellow and black in recognition of her Indigenous family and said it was important to learn about First Nations culture.
"Because I live in Australia, I just want to know about what Aboriginal painting looks like," she said.
Kassandra's mum April Reid said she brought her daughters along to the workshop because they had grown up with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family members and the Indigenous culture was "within the culture of what I want my girls to be."
Dreamtime Connections owner and operator Aaron Chatfield said the art classes were a way for kids to express their creative sides.
"I teach them a little bit about Indigenous art, what certain symbols and what the dots mean and then I leave it up to the kids to paint out their boomerangs the way they see fit," Mr Chatfield said.
"I love seeing the smiles on the kids' faces and the finished results. Sometimes you get a really good surprise."
He hosted the free art workshop in collaboration with Cooleman Court Shopping Centre's NAIDOC Week events.
"NAIDOC Week is a way for all of us as Australians to embrace our First Nations culture and connect and reconcile with our past peoples," he said.
NAIDOC Week festivities will run across the territory until Sunday. Other highlights include the Community Sector event on Tuesday at Woden Square featuring musical performances, art workshops and yarning circles.
On the weekend, look out for the traditional weaving workshops hosted by Ronnie Jordan, a Kalkadoon Pitta Pitta woman. For more information on what's happening around Canberra visit www.naidoc.org.au.
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