Psychology and Allied Health Services

NAIDOC Week 2021

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. The week is a great opportunity to participate in activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. 

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. 

NAIDOC 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 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. 

The theme this year is “Heal Country!” 

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Country is more than a place. It’s part of their identity and is intertwined with community, culture, spirituality, physical and emotional wellbeing.  

The European Settlement of Australia created significant disruption and devastation in connections to country, culture, community, spirituality and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Despite the presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Australia was considered to be “Terra Nullius” (nobody’s land) and was then declared to be a part of Britain. There were no treaties or formal land settlements. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people therefore did not cede sovereignty to their land. It was taken from them. That will remain a continuing source of dispute. To Heal Country, we must all work towards redressing historical injustice. 

For generations Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been calling for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of culture and heritage for all Australians.  Healing Country means hearing those pleas to provide greater management, involvement, and empowerment by Indigenous peoples over 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. 

Healing Country is more than changing a word in our national anthem – it is about the historical, political, and administrative landscapes adapting to successfully empower and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, nations, and heritage. 

Information from: 

 https://www.naidoc.org.au/about/naidoc-week