During this year’s NAIDOC Week celebrations, students in Batemans Bay gathered to learn and perform traditional Yuin dances — an experience that went far beyond steps and rhythm. It was a living connection to culture, country, and community. For many, this was the first time they had moved to the ancient patterns of Yuin songlines, guided by Elders and cultural leaders who carry the stories of their ancestors. The dances spoke of the land, the sea, the animals, and the seasons — each step a reminder that culture is not just remembered; it is lived, breathed, and passed forward. These celebrations were not just a school event. They were an invitation to the wider community — and to our nation’s leaders in Parliament — to understand that Aboriginal culture is a living, ongoing story. It is not locked in the past but woven into the present and the future. Every movement on the dance ground was a statement of survival, resilience, and pride. As the students’ feet stirred the dust and their voices joined in song, the powerful truth echoed: Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. Words captured in the poignant poem: We see the land, we see inside, our dreams show the light that you tried to hide. The rain has gone, trees are on fire, the Black Cockatoo is lost to the choir. Our blood runs through rivers, our souls rise to the cloud, the voice of our Elders is shouting out loud. Ships on our shores, the battling crowd, you stood with your flag bloody and proud. Always was, always will be, from the land to the sea, we will fix our country and together walk free. NAIDOC Week in Batemans Bay this year wasn’t just about celebration — it was a declaration. A moment where young people stepped into the footprints of their ancestors, carrying culture forward while inviting every Australian to walk with them in truth and respect.