NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
The theme for 2021 is Heal Country.
"Country is inherent to our identity. It sustains our lives in every aspect - spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally.
It is more than a place. When we talk about Country it is spoken of like a person. Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions and language. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples it has been this way since the dawn of time."
Here's how you can get involved?
- Read books written by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander authors
- Be the person to Acknowledge Country during a meeting
- Listen to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander voices through music or podcasts
- Learn more about this year’s theme – Heal Country, heal our nation
- Research the traditional Indigenous owners of your area
- Learn the meanings of local or national Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander place names and words.
Please use this week as an opportunity to grow your knowledge and respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Artwork: Care For Country by Maggie-Jean Douglas (Gubbi Gubbi)
Official artwork of NAIDOC Week 2021