NAIDOC events
NAIDOC Sunday 8 November - Sunday 15 November 2020
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July, for the first time it is being held in November to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Source: NAIDOC website
NAIDOC Week events at Federation University Australia
We have five free online events but make sure to register as space is limited. Events are open to all staff, students and community.
Aboriginal Education Centre staff celebrate NAIDOC Week
Monday 9 November 2020
NAIDOC - Cultural Rap Music Workshop
Presenter: Phil Egan, Aboriginal Student Success Officer, Berwick Campus
Learn how to write and create a song from scratch. Learn how a song is made up with words that rhyme. Phil will record the vocals that everyone has come up with and once its finished, everyone will get a copy.
Time: 1.00pm – 2.00pm
Cost: Free event
View information and register online.
Tuesday 10 November 2020
NAIDOC Cultural Art Therapy Workshop
Presenter: Kathrine (Kat) Clarke, Aboriginal Student Success Officer, Wimmera Campus
Pablo Picasso said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”.
This workshop is tailored to the group and their needs, and focuses on the importance of reconnecting to our senses, the spirit and self.
Come along and join Kat to explore Art Therapy through drawing.
Time: 1.00pm - 3.00pm
Cost: Free event
View information and register online.
Wednesday 11 November 2020
NAIDOC - Cultural Rap Music Workshop
Presenter: Phil Egan, Aboriginal Student Success Officer, Berwick Campus
Learn how to write and create a song from scratch. Learn how a song is made up with words that rhyme. Phil will record the vocals that everyone has come up with and once it's finished, everyone will get a copy.
Time: 1.00pm – 2.00pm
Cost: Free event
View information and register online.
Thursday 12 November 2020
NAIDOC Cultural Art Therapy Workshop
Presenter: Kathrine (Kat) Clarke, Aboriginal Student Success Officer, Wimmera Campus
Pablo Picasso said, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”.
This workshop is tailored to the group and their needs, and focuses on the importance of reconnecting to our senses, the spirit and self.
Come along and join Kat to explore art therapy through drawing.
Time: 1.00pm - 3.00pm
Cost: Free event
View information and register online.
Friday 13 November 2020
Overview of Victorian Aboriginal Languages Workshop
Presenter: Katrina Beer, Manager, Aboriginal Education Centre
The workshop will give you a greater understanding of Victorian Aboriginal languages. Learn about the destruction and the revival and reclamation process. Learn how to pronounce Federation University building and room names.
Time: 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Cost: Free event
View information and register online.
NAIDOC external community events
If you are unable to register for a Federation University event, we encourage you to explore other events being held virtually in your local area and across the Nation.
NAIDOC history
1920-1930
Before the 1920s, Aboriginal rights groups boycotted Australia Day (26 January) in protest against the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians. By the 1920s, they were increasingly aware that the broader Australian public were largely ignorant of the boycotts. If the movement were to make progress, it would need to be active.
Several organisations emerged to fill this role, particularly the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (AAPA) in 1924 and the Australian Aborigines League (AAL) in 1932. Their efforts were largely overlooked, and due to police harassment, the AAPA abandoned their work in 1927.
In 1935, William Cooper, founder of the AAL, drafted a petition to send to King George V, asking for special Aboriginal electorates in Federal Parliament. The Australian Government believed that the petition fell outside its constitutional responsibilities.
1938
On Australia Day, 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney, followed by a congress attended by over a thousand people. One of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world, it was known as the Day of Mourning.
Following the congress, a deputation led by William Cooper presented Prime Minister Joseph Lyons with a proposed national policy for Aboriginal people. This was again rejected because the Government did not hold constitutional powers in relation to Aboriginal people.
After the Day of Mourning, there was a growing feeling that it should be a regular event. In 1939 William Cooper wrote to the National Missionary Council of Australia to seek their assistance in supporting and promoting an annual event.
More information about the Day of Mourning can be found at the AIATSIS website.
1940-1955
From 1940 until 1955, the Day of Mourning was held annually on the Sunday before Australia Day and was known as Aborigines Day. In 1955 Aborigines Day was shifted to the first Sunday in July after it was decided the day should become not simply a protest day but also a celebration of Aboriginal culture.
1956-1990
Major Aboriginal organisations, state and federal governments, and a number of church groups all supported the formation of, the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC). At the same time, the second Sunday in July became a day of remembrance for Aboriginal people and their heritage.
In 1972, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs was formed, as a major outcome of the 1967 referendum.
In 1974, the NADOC committee was composed entirely of Aboriginal members for the first time. The following year, it was decided that the event should cover a week, from the first to second Sunday in July.
In 1984, NADOC asked that National Aborigines Day be made a national public holiday, to help celebrate and recognise the rich cultural history that makes Australia unique. While this has not happened, other groups have echoed the call.
1991 - Present
With a growing awareness of the distinct cultural histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, NADOC was expanded to recognise Torres Strait Islander people and culture. The committee then became known as the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC). This new name has become the title for the whole week, not just the day. Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important issues and events for NAIDOC Week.
During the mid-1990s, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) took over the management of NAIDOC until ATSIC was disbanded on 15 April 2004.
Over the period from 2004 to 2005 there were interim arrangements, with former Senator Aden Ridgeway chairing the Committee until 2008.
Anne Martin and Ben Mitchell served as co-chairs of the National NAIDOC Committee from 2008 to 2018, when Patricia Thompson and John Paul Janke were elected the co-chairs.
The National NAIDOC Committee has made key decisions on national celebrations each year and has representatives from most Australian states and territories.
Source: NAIDOC website