The team and staff at the Adelaide 36ers were thrilled to have Wartu Director Tim Graham, a Kaurna and Narungga Elder perform a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony in the lead up to the Indigenous Round.
The smoking ceremony is a traditional ritual that rids any negative spirits or energies around to create a positive path leading into the future. In this case clearing the energy ready for the 36ers to play against South East Melbourne Phoenix. The ceremony was conducted with native blue bush from the coastlines of Port Adelaide, which was placed in a pitki also known as a coolamah that comes from a native tree.
For many members of the team it was their first time experiencing a smoking ceremony in person. They remarked feeling refreshed and energized leading up to the game, and it proved effective, as the Adelaide 36ers overcame an 18-point halftime deficit to beat Phoenix by 3 points. Many team members were so moved by the ceremony that they have stayed in touch with Tim to continue learning about First Nations Culture.Wartu Engineering and Civil along with its partner SGP Civil look forward to being the presenting partners of the Indigenous Round in 2024 and continuing to build on the teams connection to the Indigenous culture.
Wartu acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are based, the people of the Kaurna Nation and pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge their rich culture, celebrating the stories and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.
