"Keep the fire burning, now more than ever."
These words echoed across Broome during a Welcome to Country, which marked the beginning of NAIDOC Week celebrations in Western Australia's north.
NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year's theme is Keep The Fire Burning — Blak, Loud and Proud, with fire representing the "enduring strength" of Indigenous cultures and aims to amplify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
Hundreds of people took to the main streets of Broome to walk together in the Kullari NAIDOC Festival Reconciliation Walk on Friday morning, ahead of national celebrations on July 7.
Local schools, health groups, a number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations, and government representatives marched alongside each other through the streets.
Yawuru woman Linda Dean took part in the walk and said she came from a long line of strong women and was a member of the Stolen Generations.
To see the support for the recognition of Indigenous Australians was inspirational for Ms Dean.
"When we see people supporting us like this, that is what we call 'wirriya liyan'. We're happy inside that we are starting to get the recognition," she said.
"We've suffered too much cultural genocide and genocide … and we want that to stop.
"The bottom line shows, bang, we're still standing strong and we are survivors."
High Indigenous population
Kimberley Land Council CEO Tyronne Garstone walked alongside his colleagues and said this year's theme was relevant after Australia's Voice to Parliament Referendum failed.
"We're such a resilient people and even though we didn't get the decision that we wanted in October last year, just to say, 'We're still here, we're still representing, we're not going away'," he said.
"To see the support of the community that has come out today is really uplifting."
Mr Garstone said NAIDOC celebrations had their own special significance in the Kimberley because of the high Indigenous population, which made up more than 40 per cent of the local population.
"It's a coming together, seeing people that we've known over generations and we can stand loud and proud," he said.
"I think across the other areas, urban areas where they're a minority group, you know 3 per cent, I think it might be quite challenging.
"We've sort of got a bit of a mirror held up to the rest of Australia and see what their views are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and our issues."
Broome's strong Indigenous culture 'keeps fire burning'
Kaysanna Elap is a Bardi, Gija/Kija and Yawuru woman who said it was important to see non-Indigenous and Indigenous people unite for the walk in Broome.
"To see a multicultural environment, all getting together to celebrate NAIDOC … it's just really important to see everyone come together for an important week," she said.
Ms Elap said this year's NAIDOC theme was about keeping culture alive through traditions.
"Really acknowledge where you come from and your people and your culture, that's really what it means to me," she said.
"We're still really lucky to have culture still burning here, so I think just sharing as well how we keep the fire burning."
Bardi and Nyikina woman, Cherie Sibosado, agreed with her fellow Kimberley kin stating the week was particularly important coming off the back of the referendum.
"It means so much," Ms Sibosado said.
"The message we want to send out is that we're still strong, we're not going anywhere," she said.
"What we are wanting to do is invite more people to be on this journey with us."