Today marks the beginning of annual NAIDOC Week celebrations held nationally across Australia. It’s a week that is not only in celebration of Australia’s rich culture, lands and traditions, but also a celebration of our First Nations’ people and a recognition of the injustices they have faced.
This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is ‘Heal Country!’ and will run from the 4th to 11th of July 2021.
“The NAIDOC 2021 theme – Heal Country! – calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction.”
WholeLife is proud to range a variety of brands that actively support Indigenous communities through various foundations and projects. We also are proud to range a large number of Australian owned brands with Australian made products that incorporate native ingredients.
Each WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods you visit is owned by a local pharmacist in your community, and you’ll notice that not every WholeLife has the exact same range of products. That’s because each store is encouraged to support local and small business by ranging locally made and owned products. This could be things like local fresh bread, handmade soaps, hand poured candles, small batch skincare… the possibilities are endless!
It’s so important to support your local community and First Nations’ people, especially during a week as pertinent as NAIDOC Week. This year’s theme is all about healing our lands, our waters and our heritage, and a great way to be a supporter of this cause is by shopping mindfully and sustainably and by choosing to support Indigenous owned business.
Here are 5 reasons why shopping native and local is important.
1. It’s more sustainable
Choosing to buy from local producers is an eco-friendly move, which we’re all about at WholeLife. Local goods have accumulated fewer travelled kilometres – meaning that the resources needed to produce the item are generally sourced around the local area and not imported from overseas.
2. You can support Indigenous makers
Supporting your local Indigenous businesses and makers produces more than an economic benefit – it connects you to the local land, traditions, and community. First Nations people relied heavily on the land for thousands of years before invasion, and that connection is something that modern Australians should preserve.
3. You can support your local economy
Of course, shopping local creates an obvious economic benefit. It’s easy to choose convenience these days, but keeping wealth circulating in your local community creates long-lasting effects that can benefit other small, local businesses.
4. It’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in native Australian ingredients
Native Australian ingredients are truly unique and like nothing else on earth, just like our native fauna. Acquaint yourself with the tastes and scents of your backyard by choosing products that contain Native Australian ingredients like Kakadu Plum, Wattleseed, Lemon Myrtle or Finger Lime. Who knows, you might stumble across something that you love!
5. You will find unique products
Local products are usually one-of-a-kind and handmade with love! Owning something unique from a local maker is a feel-good exercise, because you know you’re supporting a good cause (and you have something that not many other people have!).
Everyone should strive to keep their shopping native and local more often.
Do you have any favourite local, Indigenous makers we should know about, or brands that support Indigenous communities? Let us know in the comments below!
Feature image via ROHR Remedy.
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