NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week
Dates first full week in July
Location(s) Australia wide
Years active 1920s[1] -present
Website
http://www.naidoc.org.au/

NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee) Week is an Australian observance lasting from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday.

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.[2] The week is celebrated not just in the Indigenous communities but also in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils and workplaces.

Origin of the term

NAIDOC originally was an acronym for the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.[3] The (as yet unnamed) committee was first officially formed on Australia Day 1938 in Sydney by a group of around 100 Aboriginal people who gathered for the first Day of Mourning, to protest against the treatment of Aboriginal people around Australia.[4][5]

In 1957 the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) formed and the second Sunday in July became a day of remembrance and celebration for Aboriginal people and heritage.[6] In 1991 NADOC became NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee), to recognise Torres Strait Islanders and to describe a whole week of recognition, rather than one day.[6] The committee's acronym has become the name of the week itself.[3]

NAIDOC activities

NAIDOC activities are held across Australia. Activities include cultural and educational activities in schools and workplaces and public displays. NAIDOC Week activities might include listening to Indigenous Australian music, reading dream time stories, visiting Indigenous Australian websites on the Internet and organising an art competition.[2] Major celebratory events take place in Australia's major cities as well as in larger rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, including Alice Springs, Hermannsburg, Shepparton and Mildura.

The National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony and Ball, celebrating the end of NAIDOC Week festivities is held in a different host city each year. The Ball features Indigenous food and live bands.[7]

In Western Australia, an Australian rules football match between Claremont and South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League has been played during NAIDOC week since 2007, with the winner being awarded the Jimmy Melbourne Cup, in honour of the first Indigenous Australian player to play senior football in a major Australian football league.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "NAIDOC History". Australian government. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Celebrating NAIDOC Week". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 NSW Department of Community Services (February 2009). "Working with Aboriginal People and Communities". NSW Government. p. 37. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "Aboriginals commemorate Day of Mourning". ABC. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  5. ↑ Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (20 May 2008). "More information about Cyprus Hellene Club - Australian Hall". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Australian Government (14 February 2011). "NAIDOC Week". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "NAIDOC Awards". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 28 April 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Hope, Shayne (1 July 2011). "Greats gather to celebrate NAIDOC". The West Australian.

External links