What Hockey ACT reconciliation round means to Garry and Tarran Backhus

Quite literally, too. Indigenous artwork is inked on his left forearm and his right shoulder, and this weekend, it's all over his Western Districts hockey kit.

Hockey ACT is hosting its second annual reconciliation round this week as the association aims to celebrate the achievements, culture, and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Siblings Garry and Tarran Backhus have been among the driving forces behind Hockey ACT's commitment to reconciliation. So while they play for different clubs - Garry for Western Districts and Tarran for North Canberra, they share the same culture.

Which is why this year's theme of "Our Story" feels so fitting as Garry traces the ink on his arms back to stories of the Wiradjuri people.

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"I really embrace it. People may look at me and see that I am fair-skinned," Garry said.

"But I'm still Aboriginal. It's my culture and where I come from.

"For me, it's knowing a sense of where I come from and learning my culture. My sister and I are always trying to connect with family we didn't know we had. The more we search the more family there is.

"I wish I had have learnt a bit more when I was at a younger age, but trying to catch up and learning where I'm from is super important for me and my family.

"We're making it aware to people who do identify [as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander] that maybe don't think there are many people in the community, we are here. There's a lot of people here. If we need to talk, we can talk. It's that awareness that we still have plenty of Indigenous people around the community.

"It's good for awareness and making people aware there are plenty of Indigenous people in our hockey community."

North Canberra and Wests will play in feature matches of the round, both against St Pat's at the Lyneham Hockey Centre on Saturday. Tarran's Eagles play a Capital League One clash at midday, before Garry's Wests follow in the men's competition.

Both sides will play in Indigenous artwork-laden playing shirts designed by Rheanna Lotter, who will continue to work with Hockey ACT clubs to further promote Aboriginal designs.

Other clubs will wear designs from other Aboriginal artists throughout reconciliation round, which runs from Thursday until Sunday, as the concept continues to gather steam.

Woven in between the feature games of the round will be a welcome to country, a smoking ceremony and a didgeridoo performance on Carter Field.

"Sometimes there are gestures without actions," Tarran said.

"But I think with Hockey ACT, their gestures come with actions. We might have a reconciliation round, but it's because Hockey ACT is committed to reconciliation and the process. For me, as an Aboriginal person who has been involved in hockey since I was four, that's really important to see.

"I'm proud to see hockey is taking the steps towards reconciliation. Garry and I grew up in a hockey community and this is a part of our life. Having both parts of who we are come together for this round is a really beautiful thing and makes me as a First Nations person feel seen.

"For the past few years, we've engaged with our local Aboriginal community, which I don't think hockey had done beforehand. Hockey was just the hockey community, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community was that community. We're slowly bridging that gap. Over time, that will build.

"We've got a weaving workshop, so we're exposing the hockey community to our culture, to our stories and to our histories. By doing that, we're captivating a larger audience and we're making hockey more inclusive at the same time.

"I'm just really thankful to be a part of a hockey community that values our First Nations people. When this round was raised, it wasn't, 'We'll think about it'. It was, 'How do we make this happen'?"

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