CELEBRATING OUR FIRST PEOPLES!
It’s that time of the year (traditionally, the first full week of July) when Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians alike celebrate the history, achievements and rich cultural diversity of our First Peoples.
NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Day Observance Committee and has a long history leading back to the beginning of the civil rights movement in the early 20th century.
On January 26, 1938, there was a Day of Mourning protest and conference in Sydney, calling for equal rights for Aboriginal Australians. For nearly two decades afterwards, a Day of Mourning was held on the Sunday prior to Australia Day each year.
Known as ‘Aborigines Day’, it was moved to the first Sunday in July in 1955, with the emphasis placed also celebrating Aboriginal culture.
In 1974, what was a national day of celebration became a week-long event from Sunday to Sunday. Now NAIDOC Week boasts a program of events held in cities and suburbs, rural and remote areas, so that all Australians can participate, enjoy and share in what is beautiful about both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
This year, many Australian schools will have dedicated NAIDOC assemblies, students will perform and parents and community members will join in the festivities.
I think NAIDOC Week is a great bridge builder in terms of broader community engagement in a fun atmosphere.
Outside of schools there are family fun days everywhere from Musgrave Park in Brisbane to the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern. There are concerts, church services, flag raising ceremonies, footy matches and fun runs!
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