NAIDOC Week (4-11 July 2021) is an annual event celebrating the culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The acronym, which has since become the name of the week itself, stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee and can be traced back to Aboriginal groups in the 1920s that sought to increase awareness and improve the treatment of Indigenous Australians.
Read on to learn more about the event and some of the ways you can celebrate in your community.
This Year’s Theme
The 2021 NAIDOC Week theme is “Heal Country!” and calls for us all to seek greater protections for lands, waters, sacred sites and cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration and destruction. It seeks substantive institutional reform and more robust protections for all aspects of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage – something that Elders and Indigenous communities having been seeking for generations.
Healing Country is about resolving the outstanding injustices that impact the lives of First Nations people, and it encourages our nation to equally embrace the cultural knowledge of Country as part of Australia’s national heritage.
How to Get Involved
During NAIDOC Week, people across the country are encouraged to participate in local community celebrations organised by government agencies, local councils, businesses and schools. Whatever your interests and schedule, there are a variety of ways to celebrate and raise awareness.
Here are a few suggestions for how you can get involved:
- Attend a NAIDOC Week event in your local area (options include art competitions, virtual poetry readings, webinar presentations and video conferences)
- Plan your own NAIDOC event for your friends, colleagues or community
- Learn the meanings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander place names and words, and visit local sites of significance
- Download the 2021 National NAIDOC Poster, ‘Care for Country’, and display it around your classroom or workplace
- Watch a movie about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history or listen to Indigenous musicians
- Use the 2021 National NAIDOC logo in your email signatures and social media profiles
- Research Indigenous history online or visit your library to find books about First Nations Peoples
- Share NAIDOC teaching resources with teachers, schools and students in your area
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Invite local Elders to speak at your school or workplace
How will you be celebrating NAIDOC Week this year? We’ve love to hear about your plans!
