Wagga's NAIDOC events finished with a flourish at the Marramarra Aboriginal Markets on Sunday.
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Marramarra is the Wiradjuri word for "to make" or "to create", indicating the attention and care makers at Marramarra put into their work.
Also held before Mother's Day and Christmas, the NAIDOC market was held in Wagga Marketplace, offering locals respite from the cold and rain while they browsed native medicines, clothing and handicrafts.
The markets are organised by Prickly Lizard Events, which also offers catering services.
Proud Wiradjuri Woman and Prickly Lizard co-owner Rosie Powell said Marramarra was a chance for local Aboriginal makers to gain better exposure for their work, and for the wider public to learn about the diversity of Aboriginal creative practices.
"My sister and I go to a lot of Aboriginal markets with our coffee and burgers ... there's lots of amazing events and markets in the bigger cities, but there was never one here in this area," she said.
"We felt there was enough talented artists, business people, entrepreneurs, youth performers, and cultural knowledge holders, that why don't we have something here?
"Being able to show the wider community that aboriginal art isn't just playing the didgeridoo, and it can be in so many different forms. Aboriginal art is literally just art from an Aboriginal person."
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Setting up in Wagga Marketplace was a mixed blessing for Marramarra markets. Less space means fewer stallholders and an inability for Ms Powell and her sister Angela Galluzzo to offer coffee or food.
Ms Powell said the location gave them the opportunity to reach people that might not be inclined to come to an Indigenous market.
"We've teamed up with the marketplace because it means we're talking to the broader community - not just people that come specifically for the market," she said.
"One of the challenges of trying to create a space for a very specific kind of business is you don't want to have high barriers to entry - you want to make sure people are getting their art and their cultural knowledge from the correct place."
NAIDOC week is an annual celebration of Indigenous culture, resilience and survival. As it has spread from the Indigenous community to the wider Australian population, there has been more pressure placed on Indigenous communities to curate, and run cultural events.
This can be a difficult balance for Aboriginal creators, between spending time creating their works, educating the public about traditional culture, and looking after their own mental health.
"It's a part of who we are - we're storytellers, we want to share our knowledge," Ms Powell said.
"But it can take a lot from us physically, spiritually and culturally.
"It's still important that we do come out and do things like this that show we can celebrate as well, and that we do want to celebrate with the wider community - not just ourselves."
The next Marramarra Markets are expected to be in December.
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