Why Naidoc is Important

Written by: Vaughn Sealy – The Pro Forum Community of Practice

When the celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was only one day per year, the recognition of this day has become an entire week to celebrate not only the achievements of individual people within the community, but the achievement of all those within the greater community.

This week is Naidoc week, and this time each year I think about how far we have come over the years to fight for change. Naidoc is all about celebrating communication and family, and as a person who has indigenous family members, it means more to me than just acknowledging this week as an event. I grew up in an indigenous community and I have seen great changes in recent years with the way celebration is held and done. Although there is growing awareness of the culture and histories of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander people, there is still more that can be done to support our indigenous communities.

With events such as the National NAIDOC Week Awards Ceremony, it helps to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence and provide recognition of their achievements each year. Nominees and winners are from different communities within Australian and have different backgrounds to showcase their talents, achievements, and their contributions towards their communities. This is just one of the many ways to learn about the cultures and histories of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Naidoc Week is important for my children to understand their culture, the achievements that the community has achieved, and how that applies to them as indigenous people. We can all understand and appreciate how these people and their ancestors have provided us with the rich cultures we have come to know. We are one people working together towards building a unified country.