Lunch organiser Kaye Smith said for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people said the Dreamtime focussed on the earth, people and animals and songlines was the living narrative of our nation.

“Today we bring together the community of Mount Isa to celebrate the different groups connecting to country,” she said.

Ms Smith said this was the seventh and final year she was coordinating the function, which attracted over 200 people to the Overlander.

“This year’s has been by far the most significant I’ve been involved with, I know for you some of you it will be the only event you attend in Naidoc Week so I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to spend that time with you,” she said.

“This day is all about you.”

Uncle Ron Page did the welcome to country and Mayor Joyce McCulloch reflected on the meaning of Naidoc.

“We all use acronyms and we all forget the very meaning of what the acronym is, Naidoc is National Aboriginal and Islander Observation Committee,” Cr McCulloch said.

“Naidoc is to celebrate the history and the culture of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, but not just that the achievements and I’ve got to say, in our community, our people have achieved a lot in such a short time, you all should be very proud of that.”

The lunch’s major sponsor is Mount Isa Mines and Glencore Chief Operating  North Queensland Copper Assets Chief Operating Officer Mike Westerman spoke of his own proud indigenous heritage.

“I was born in Port Hedland (WA) in 1966, a year before Indigenous people were recognised as citizens of our country in the 1967 referendum,” Mr Westerman.

“As a mark of that I still carry my mother’s citizenship rights on the wall of my house.” Mr Westerman said his mother was Indigenous and his father was a station hand and “sometimes unsuccessful goldminer”.

“I grew up on cattle stations, probably a similar upbringing to most of the people in this room,” he said.