Celebrating NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week 2017 takes place from 2 – 8 July and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements.

NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee and NAIDOC Week was first recognized in the 1920’s to raise awareness of Indigenous Australians.

This year, the focus for NAIDOC Week is ‘Our Languages Matter’ and represents the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and the role they play in Indigenous cultural identity.

Across Australia you will see a variety of events and marches to celebrate NAIDOC Week and our First Peoples and Equity Pathways Directorate encourage you to get involved.

Jane Ceolin, Director - First Peoples and Equity Pathways, said, “NAIDOC Week is an excellent opportunity for staff and students to immerse themselves in Indigenous culture and increase their awareness of the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“There are many opportunities to get involved. Find out what is happening near you by visiting your local council website or the NAIDOC Week website.”

As part of NAIDOC week, staff from Weemala (Brisbane), Jim-baa-yer (Melbourne and Ballarat) and Yalbalinga (North Sydney and Strathfield) Indigenous Higher Education Units are visiting local events as representatives of ACU.

You can find out more about the work of the First Peoples and Equity Pathways unit by visiting the ACU website.