Hannah's journey to cultural celebration - NAIDOC Week 2022
Published by MAXSolutions on July 06, 2022
Hannah Ramsey recently joined our Disability Employment Services team in Innisfail, Far North Queensland.
Hannah is a proud Indigenous woman. Her cultural heritage includes Aboriginal and South Sea Islander. Hannah was raised on her father’s country, Mamu land and is part of the Bagirbarra clan.
As a young adult, Hannah left Innisfail and worked in Darwin. Working with Indigenous peoples across the Northern Territory and in Arnhem Land, Hannah noticed a strength in connection to culture and language that she hadn’t experienced as a child.
While she loved working there, in her early twenties, Hannah felt the call to go home.
“I loved it there, it was perfect for me, I loved the relaxed lifestyle and being around our people, I loved the outback. But something was calling me home. I felt it on the inside. Country calls you. It’s an overwhelming feeling or longing, like there’s something missing,” says Hannah.
Drawn home to Country like a magnet, Hannah took with her an intense desire to connect with her culture like her people in the Northern Territory did.
She began asking questions. For her family, the impact of the Stolen Generation had meant that culture had purposely been left behind. But now it was time to search for answers.
Hannah’s questions were the catalyst for transformation within her family who have been on a journey of discovery and embracing their culture, language and history ever since.
Family gatherings now include cultural dance and food such as kuppa-murri (underground cooking) and family members are actively learning Mamu language.
Hannah’s passionate about continuing this with the next generation in her nieces and nephews.
Today Hannah proudly represents and contributes to her community and has helped organise some of the NAIDOC Week events happening in Innisfail this year, including the street procession where Hannah’s niece and nephew will dance as part of the celebrations.
When asked about the theme of NAIDOC Week 2022 – Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! – Hannah shared these insights:
“I love this year’s theme. I think it’s a wake-up call for Indigenous people around Australia. I love that we have support from a lot of business and community organisations and from government, but as Indigenous people we have to be able to get up, show up and stand up and lead the way for our own people.
“We know what we want, we know how to best support each other, and I think that it’s time for us to get back into action. Be responsible for each other. We have to be able to encourage each other and create things with our kids and for our elders. Not wait for other people to do it.
For Hannah, who has always been passionate about and worked to support people at the grass roots level, her role as a Disability Employment Services Job Coach is a great fit.
Her years of experience in supporting Australians across various roles means she has many skills she can bring to support our customers living with disability in Innisfail and surrounds.
We’re delighted to have Hannah in the MAX team and thank her for sharing a piece of her journey with us as part of NAIDOC Week 2022.
Image: MAX Job Coach Hannah Ramsey stands next to a poster celebrating NAIDOC Week 2022.
Hannah is a Job Coach in our Disability Employment Services (DES). Find out more about our DES:
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