NAIDOC Week's a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It’s held each year during the first week of July and is an important annual event where everyone’s invited to join in the celebrations.
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What does NAIDOC stand for?
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. To understand what all that means though, we need a little bit of a history lesson.
In 1955, the Day of Mourning or Aborigines Day was moved from the Sunday before January 26 to the first Sunday in July. It was shifted because people wanted to focus more on celebrating First Nations cultures rather than protesting. The National Aborigines Day Observance Committee was then created in 1956 to organise national events.
In 1975, it was decided to celebrate for a whole week — rather than just one day. NAIDOC Week was born! Then in 1991, NAIDOC Week expanded to recognise Torres Strait Islander people and cultures.
And that's why it’s called NAIDOC Week.
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What’s NAIDOC Week?
NAIDOC Week is a chance to come together and celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of First Nations people here in Australia.
Each year NAIDOC will choose a theme to build the celebrations around. In 2022 that theme is Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! It’s focused on supporting and securing institutional, structural, collaborative and cooperative reforms.
NAIDOC Week is a chance to celebrate and learn about First Nations Peoples — their histories, cultures and achievements. It can be a great opportunity to bring First Nations perspectives into the classroom in a way that’s fun, informative and celebratory.
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When's NAIDOC Week?
NAIDOC Week is usually held in the first week of July.
NAIDOC Week 2022 is being held from 3 to 10 July.
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Why do we celebrate NAIDOC Week?
There are so many reasons why people get involved with NAIDOC Week. It’s a chance to celebrate First Nations Peoples of Australia, a chance to highlight challenges that need addressing, a chance to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, and a chance to engage with amazing cultures that are thousands of years old.
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Why's NAIDOC Week important?
NAIDOC Week is important as it’s an opportunity for learning, connection and community.
It gives First Nations people and non-Indigenous people the opportunity to celebrate and connect with community and Country. And it’s a chance for everyone, not just First Nations people, to celebrate all aspects of First Nations histories and cultures.
As well as this, with its origins based in one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world, NAIDOC Week is an important time to reflect on the challenges faced by First Nations people — to look at how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go.
An opportunity to celebrate First Nations Heroes of Change
This year for NAIDOC Week we’ve created a series of activities inspired by four First Nations people who’ve made a difference in Australia. Whether you’re looking for a few ideas or a whole range of activities, we’re here to help you get your students excited about NAIDOC Week.
Our activities are quick and easy to implement in the classroom.
- Fast, flexible activities
- Content for students of all ages
- Celebrates First Nations cultures and histories
- Curriculum for any time of year
We’d like to acknowledge and thank Yellaka, the group featured in this video. Yellaka is the blend of ancient traditional and contemporary Aboriginal dance, song and storytelling.
Why stop at NAIDOC Week?
We have a range of curriculum activities that can be used throughout the year to help embed First Nations perspectives into your teaching. Across subjects like maths, English and science, we have you covered.
Looking to go further this NAIDOC Week?
There are so many ways to get involved and celebrate NAIDOC Week simply follow the links below.