The Lorna Jane Queensland Firebirds will take on Melbourne Vixens this Sunday 16 June at 1pm at the Queensland State Netball Centre for the Suncorp Super Netball 2019 season Indigenous Round.
During the Indigenous Round, the league and all clubs celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture throughout the week and across the four scheduled matches. The theme for 2019 recognises the United Nations’ International Year of Indigenous Languages.
The Firebirds will wear their Indigenous Round uniform featuring artwork designed by local Indigenous artist, Rachael Sarra. To celebrate the connection between netball and the Indigenous community, an acknowledgement to country ceremony will take place alongside a performance by local Indigenous groups.
Participants from the Netball Queensland Diamond Spirit program are visiting Brisbane for the weekend for a leadership camp and will play a netball match on the show court at half time.
Sharon Finnan-White, former Firebird and only the second Indigenous woman to play for the Diamonds, will join artist Rachael Sarra at the match on Sunday and Queensland Firebird Jemma Mi Mi will take to the court as the only Indigenous athlete currently in the Suncorp Super Netball league.
Jemma Mi Mi chats to artist Rachael Sarra ahead of the Indigenous Round
Ahead of the indigenous round, we sent Jemma Mi Mi on a special assignment to catch up with Rachael Sarra and talk about the 2019 Indigenous Round, the Firebirds Indigenous dress, what it means to them as Indigenous women, and their hopes for the representation of their culture in the future.
Rachael is a contemporary Aboriginal artist from Goreng Goreng Country. Uniting Flames is a work of art created by Rachael in collaboration with the Firebirds team for the 2018 round. It features on the dress again this year as a celebration of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander culture and the core values of the Firebirds.
See what they talked about below.
Uniting Flames by Rachael Sarra, Goreng Goreng
The Queensland Firebirds are more than the 7 players on the court at one time. Every step or pass you make, is ignited by those who have come before you and the people who show support. It is the strength in diversity that fuels unity, maintaining balance and harmony on and off the court.
You are vessels for change, awareness and equality, each pass connecting different stories and identities. Your roots are strong in the Queensland landscapes. With every game you bring fire, and at every final buzzer, comes new growth.
The Firebirds talk about the 2019 Indigenous Round
Jemma Mi Mi, Gabi Simpson, Laura Clemesha and Amy Sommerville talk about what Indigenous Round means to them all.
