NAIDOC WEEK

Last week we were honoured to have Uncle Rick Ronnan visit us and speak to us about the importance of NAIDOC Week and perform a smoking ceremony.  This year, NAIDOC Week was from July 4th-11th, which was during our school holidays so we felt it appropriate to acknowledge this important week on our return to school.  Uncle Rick also explained the traditions behind smoking ceremonies and offered all of us the opportunity to walk through the smoke and benefit from its cleaning properties.

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities but by Australians from all walks of life. 

NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself. 

Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important issues and events for NAIDOC Week.  This year, the theme chosen is HEAL COUNTRY.

Healing Country means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage. That the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders are respected equally to and the cultures and values of all Australians.