First, let's talk about what NAIDOC actually is. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. For a bit of background, in 1955 the Day of Mourning was moved from the Sunday before January 26th to the first Sunday in July. It was moved because people wanted to focus more on celebrating Indigenous culture rather than protesting. NAIDOC was created in 1956 to organise national events.
In 1975, NAIDOC decided to celebrate for a whole week and so NAIDOC Week was created!
NAIDOC Week invites all Australians to celebrate and acknowledge the ongoing achievements, history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It's also an important time to reflect on the challenges still faced and a reminder that although we've come so far, we still have a long way to go. Each year NAIDOC will choose a theme to build celebrations and events around. The 2022 theme is "Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!"
There are SO many ways that we can support NAIDOC Week - whether you celebrate at home or in community, there's a lot of ways you can honour the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples this NAIDOC Week.
For more information and resources on NAIDOC Week, be sure to visit the official NAIDOC website.