Mount Isa Police Station got the 2021 Naidoc Week festivities off to a good start with a flagraising ceremony on Monday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Police Liaison Officer George Leon gave welcome to country before Acting Superintendent Jason Smith said it was an important week for Queensland Police Service and he acknowledged Kalkadoon native owners, past, present and emerging,
"It's really important that I give that acknowledgement because such a thing did not exist 10 years ago and it shows how we are evolving," AS Smith said.
"We are all working together to bring better outcomes for our Indigenous community."
AS Smith mentioned a homicide 38 years earlier when an Indigenous woman Patricia Rose Carlton was murdered in Mount Isa with a new police breakthrough, naming a man currently in jail as her murderer while an innocent Aboriginal man spent six years in jail for the crime.
"They did the original investigation they way they did it in 1983, when it was a different world," he said.
"We thought differently and we didn't know as much about culture as we do now."
AS Smith said police were now on a journey together with the community to recognise the challenges and achievements of Indigenous people.
The theme for 2021 Naidoc Week is "Heal Country" with a full program of events in Mount Isa this week.
READ ALSO: One new case of COVID in Queensland
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
Bookmark https://www.northweststar.com.au/
Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Google News