ALBANY’S indigenous achievers will be honoured in the inaugural Noongar Excellence Awards in next week’s NAIDOC celebrations.
Eight categories feature in the awards, including recognition of Noongar citizen of the year, elders, youth and indigenous educators.
Winners will be announced at Monday’s NAIDOC Week gala dinner at Albany Golf Club on June 6, which will feature an indigenous-themed menu and keynote speaker, Dr Richard Walley OAM.
Dr Walley is a Noongar performer, musician and writer who has decades of involvement in Aboriginal community improvement programs.
The annual reconciliation march will be held on Tuesday, July 7.
The march leaves Stirling Terrace at 9am and will proceed up York Street to Alison Hartman Gardens where Albany Mayor Milton Evans will take part in a NAIDOC Week opening ceremony from 10am.
Bush tucker tastings, story-telling, entertainment, indigenous products and markets will follow from 11am to 3pm, and will continue at Alison Hartman Gardens on Wednesday and Thursday.