NAIDOC Week 2022
During the NAIDOC week each year, there is an awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of Indigenous Australians. It is held in the focus city each year, bringing new venues and ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to attend, and they celebrate students, elders, educators, and more, who have contributed to their communities. NAIDOC – AUSTRALIANS TOGETHER work together on this event and the week-long celebration that surrounds it, with the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee in charge of creating resources and planning events throughout the country.
People, Events, News, History, and Community
Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! is the theme for NAIDOC Week 2022, and it is from 3-10 July 2022. The theme this year is to support people who continue to show up and encourage others to stand up for what they believe in. Support for human rights and equality are in focus, and the winners of this year’s lifetime achievement awards will be those who have used their life to make their community better. It allows them to be rewarded for using their voice in support of others and their efforts in protecting the heritage and the culture that exists throughout the country. 2022 NAIDOC Week is focused on pushing for systematic change that will benefit everyone, including environmental protections, sharing the truth both past and present, building treaties, and defeating racism. The poster contest for the year is also focused on this theme, as well as the awards ceremony and many of the curriculum and celebrations that will be happening. To learn more about past events, their website has the curriculum for this year, as well as the past few years, with summaries of the themes and the posters in a coloring contest form. This backlog of information allows for there to be learning that goes beyond just the one theme for the year and can cover several previous years and build upon each one. There are many approaches to spreading the news of this event and creating a community. The history is included on the website and within the curriculum, along with curriculum from previous years, ways to nominate people for the awards, requests for grants to hold community events, and more. By following on social media, the latest updates will be available, and people can appear in the regular news feed of any follower. The presence on Instagram is a great way to connect and to stay up to date on any details. History is a strong component and is included in any of the lessons each year. There are historical components to the shows and the information presented, historically accurate stories are shared, dances are shown, and more. The history of the celebration goes back to 1938 when some began to avoid Australia Day and began to focus on the Day of Mourning instead, which then grew into this yearly celebration that runs the first week of each July. There is a rich history that surrounds this week, and it is well presented by the committee.