Indigenous dance troop, The Little Long Walk coming to the Gannawarra

Published on 18 February 2025

Students from all schools in the Gannawarra Shire will participate in an indigenous dance troop and cultural activity program coming to the Gannawarra between 3-6 March.

Gannawarra Shire Council, Northern District Community Health, Mallee District Aboriginal Services, the Kerang Elders and Leaders Group, Emergency Recovery Victoria and the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal have partnered to bring Indigenous Outreach Projects (IOP) and The Little Long Walk to the area as part of efforts to connect young people through music, dance and cultural activities.

“It is fantastic that Council is partnering with various agencies to bring IOP and their renowned hip hop program to the Gannawarra,” Council Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Rollinson said.

“With more than two decades of experience, IOP successfully uses dance and music to foster change and deliver healthy and positive messages, which the Gannawarra’s school children will benefit from.

“The Little Long Walk will support students to create banners using Aboriginal symbols to tell their own stories and share these with the wider community.”

As part of the four-day program, more than 1,200 primary and secondary school students will participate in one of seven workshops to be held across the municipality, with a session involving Northern District Community Health’s Indigenous children and youth programs, Kethawil Penbengguk (Many Children) and Tyipen Kwe (Happy Friends) also planned.

“These sessions build on the local Aboriginal community’s participation in 20th anniversary of The Long Walk last year in Melbourne, which saw local families join in with festivities before the Australian Football League’s Dreamtime at the ‘G match between Essendon and Richmond,” Mr Rollinson said.

The IOP and The Little Long Walk visit ties in with the Innovative Gannawarra Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-2026, which aims to create a municipality where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and non-Indigenous people can live, thrive and collaborate in respect and harmony.

Other projects occurring during 2025 that will help to achieve this include the establishment of a Bush Tucker Garden at the Aboriginal Gathering Space, Kiranyuk (Kerang), co-located with Mallee District Aboriginal Service’s Kerang facility, development of the Middle Reedy Lake Cultural Trail, a Sista’s on Country Retreat, bush tucker education and engagement sessions in local pre-schools, and celebrating National Reconciliation Week.

“Council looks forward to working with partner agencies to see these initiatives come to fruition and working on achieving the deliverables listed in our Reconciliation Action Plan,” Mr Rollinson said.

The IOP and The Little Long Walk tour of the Gannawarra is supported by Victorian and Commonwealth Governments under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) as part of the Gannawarra Community Flood Recovery Program.