RACP Governor Macquarie Tower meeting rooms named
The RACP Board has approved a proposal from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Committee (ATSIHC) to name three College meeting rooms at the Governor Macquarie Tower (GMT) in Sydney
To propose the three names, the ATSIHC approached the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council (MLALC), as the traditional custodians of the Gadigal lands on which the building resides, to ensure appropriate cultural protocols and language were used.
The MLALC shared a book titled: The Sydney Language by Jakelin Troy and suggested the names be sourced from the language outlined in the book. The ATSIHC considered this resource and proposed names based on the themes of people, sun, and earth – representing the Australian Aboriginal flag. As a result, the following names were chosen:
Name
Meaning
Pronunciation
Yura Eóra
People or Aboriginal people
(eo-ra)
Nura
Place or country
(no-rar)
Guwing
Sun
(go-ing)
The naming of the rooms is part of the RACP's work under priority four of the Indigenous Strategic Framework to foster a culturally competent college and its ongoing commitment to undertake activities that focus on cultural safety for members and staff. The Framework has been developed in close consultation with key stakeholders including the Māori Health Committee (MHC), the ATSIHC, RACP Board Directors and senior management, as well as consultations with leading Indigenous health organisations to whom we express our sincere thanks
The ATSIHC and MHC have broad responsibilities in the RACP in relation to Indigenous health and will provide the cultural knowledge and leadership required for ongoing implementation and evaluation of the Framework. Strategic initiatives in this area are more likely to be successful if based on Indigenous aspirations and priorities, fitting within an Indigenous framework and process, and placed in the context of Indigenous self-determination.
Indigenous leadership, agency and decision making will be critical from the beginning of the process, and throughout the implementation and evaluation of the Framework. The implementation will follow agreed cultural protocols, drawing on Indigenous strengths and assets, in an empowering process for Indigenous leadership, both internal and external to the RACP.