South West Elder Dennis Jetta encourages community to come together this NAIDOC Week

Pride within the South West’s Indigenous communities is growing ever stronger, according to Australind-based Noongar elder Dennis Jetta. With the theme of this year’s National NAIDOC Week being Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud, the Order of Australia medal recipient said he had seen progress in the region. “I think (the Aboriginal community) just feel a bit more proud now than what they did before,” Mr Jetta said. “They’re starting to get the pride back in themselves and that’s why we see so many things happening now in communities. “Bunbury is having quite a bit of things happening through the Yaka Dandjoo committee and the Gnaala Karla Booja Aboriginal Corporation has moved into town. “Things are happening and they feel a bit more proud now.” Mr Jetta has spent decades working to improve opportunities and wellbeing for Aboriginal communities, which included co-founding Noongar Employment and Enterprise Development Aboriginal Corporation alongside Noongar Property Holdings. He works with businesses, local governments and law enforcement to teach cultural awareness and said he still cames across many people who are not aware of the dark side of Australia’s history. The talks cover the brutal history of Australian colonialism and how the impacts of it still exist in the modern day. Mr Jetta thinks Australia has come a long way in how it approaches the issue, but said there was still plenty of work to be done. “There’s still a lot to be done yet, it’s not finished yet,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that need to be done we’ve got to get to the pulling together of everybody. “I’ve talked to a lot of people, even over this year and a lot of them said they don’t know much about Aboriginal people, which is sad. “We live in the community, we’ve got Aboriginal people living in every community in Australia and a lot of people don’t know or don’t bother to find out.” Mr Jetta said NAIDOC Week was a good reminder of the strength the community can have if everyone worked together. “We can do more pulling together than when we try and do it on our own,” he said. “As the non-Aboriginal people try to do something on their own, they won’t do any good and if the Aboriginal people to try to do something on their own, it won’t be any good. “Let’s pull together, let’s mesh together . . . and I think it’ll be a lot better.”