FIRST, BEFORE WE DO

FIRST, BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING WE ACKNOWLEDGE COUNTRY. WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ELDERS. WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CULTURE AND WE ARE COMING. WE HOLD SPACE, BUT WE ARE NOT SEEN IN THIS COLONY. AND I REALISE THAT DURING THE REFERENDUM BECAUSE HOW CAN THEY HEAR US WHEN THEY CAN'T SEE US? AND I REALISED ALL THIS DEADLY FASHION. IT WAS RELATIVELY NEW FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HIT THESE STAGES AND THAT GIVES US A VOICE TO BE SEEN BECAUSE THEY TOLD US WE'RE BLACK, WE'RE DIRTY, WE'RE NO GOOD. WE'RE BLACK, WE'RE DIRTY, WE'RE NO GOOD FOR SO LONG THAT WE ACTUALLY STARTED TO FEEL SHAME ABOUT MAKING OURSELVES LOOK GOOD. WE STARTED TO GET ASHAMED ABOUT MAKING OURSELVES FEEL GOOD. BUT WE OWE IT TO OUR YOUNG ONES AND OUR OLD ONES TO CELEBRATE OURSELVES. AND THAT'S WHAT TONIGHT IS ABOUT. WHOO! WHOO! AND SO THIS EVENING, I HAVE BEEN ROAMING AROUND AND GETTING EYES ON ALL THE LOVELINESS MOB HAVE BROUGHT FOR US. AND I'VE ASKED A FEW OF YOU TO, UM, PUT YOUR HANDS UP FOR SO CAN WE GET A DRUM ROLL, PLEASE? THE WINNERS OF THE 2026 BRISBANE NAIDOC BALL BEST DRESSED AWARD. LADIES FIRST IS AUNTY DALE CHAPMAN. AND TO COME HOME AND DELIVER THESE AWARDS FOR 50 YEARS OF DEADLY CELEBRATING US, OUR BLAK EXCELLENCE IN FRONT OF A ROOM FULL OF MY COUNTRYMEN WAS A FEELING OF ON MY COUNTRY. WE ARE HELD BY THE LOVE OF OUR OLD PEOPLE IN HOW WE TURN UP IN THESE SPACES AND CONTINUE TO HOLD EACH OTHER. THIS IS A WORLD THAT WE LEAVE FOR OUR CHILDREN A PLACE LEFT FOR RUINS BECAUSE LEADERS DON'T LISTEN I'M SICK OF PREACHING MAKING ALL THE WAY BECAUSE OUR WAY IS THE WAY SHE'S SAFE FOR OUR KIDS. IT'S GUNNA BE MAGIC BOOGIE. IT'S GUNNA BE MAGIC BOOGIE. AND LAST NIGHT WE MADE SURE THEY COULD SEE US IN ALL OUR FINERY, IN ALL OUR BLAK EXCELLENCE.