Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!: Celebrating NAIDOC Week
We have been fighting for our rights through history. We get up, stand up, and show up. From the earliest fighters to our current communities that continue to fight for change. This year's NAIDOC theme is calling ALL Australians to do more to make our country better for ALL First Nation's peoples. With National NAIDOC Week coming up, we are celebrating but also to raising more awareness of what we are fighting for. We at DulcieDot would like to show our support during National NAIDOC Week. This is through sharing with our audience of what NAIDOC Week is all about, its history, this year’s theme, how to get involved, deadly businesses to support along with what it means to DulcieDot.
About NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. The National NAIDOC Committee has declared that this year's NAIDOC Week will take place from 3rd to 10th of July, 2022.
Every year in the first week of July, Australia holds NAIDOC Week. This is to commemorate and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is a chance for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories. It is also an opportunity to take part in celebrations of the world's oldest and longest-living cultures.
History of NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC Week can be traced back to the 1920s. Aboriginal groups activism encouraged awareness regarding the treatment and status of Aboriginal people. This eventually resulted to the Day of Mourning.
Every Australia Day from 1938 until 1955, the Day of Mourning which was also known as Aborigines Day was observed as a protest against the holiday's festivities. Aborigines Day was moved to the first Sunday in July in 1955. It was agreed after that the day should be more of a celebration of Aboriginal culture rather than a protest.
Establishment of NADOC
In 1956 with the help of significant Aboriginal organisations, state and federal governments, and other organisations, the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) was established . The planning of national events fell within the purview of this group. In addition to this, the second Sunday in July was designated as a day to honour Aboriginal people and their culture.
The decision to extend the event to a full week was made in 1975. Also, NADOC was also enlarged to include recognition of Torres Strait Islander people and culture . This is because there was a growing understanding of the diverse cultural histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The group changed its name to the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee in 1991. (NAIDOC). This PDF is a detailed timeline of the history of NAIDOC Week.
The NAIDOC Week Poster
Gudanji/Wakaja artist Ryhia Dank designed the 2022 NAIDOC Week poster entitled ‘Stronger”. Ryhia is the winner of the National NAIDOC Poster Competition, selected by the committee.
Ryhia’s inspiration for this poster came immediately after finding out the theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week.
“I created this piece after reading this year’s National NAIDOC Week theme – Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! I knew straight away I wanted to do a graphic piece centred around our flags with text highlighting what we have been through and are still fighting for” said Ryhia. “I feel that this piece being black and white allows us to focus on the details and messages in the artwork”
Get to know more about the artist in her website.
Events During NAIDOC Week
The Committee decides the National NAIDOC Poster Competition winner and the host city for national NAIDOC events, among others.
Australia-wide NAIDOC Week celebrations take place. Australians from all walks of life and First Nations communities alike observe NAIDOC Week. Communities, local governments, schools, and workplaces are encouraged and frequently planned NAIDOC Week celebrations. For a full list of local NAIDOC Week events, you may visit this page in their website.
The National NAIDOC Awards are presented at a ceremony and dinner dancehosted in the host city at the conclusion of every NAIDOC Week. This annual awards ceremony honours Aboriginal Australians for their remarkable contributions to the betterment of Aboriginal communities, their advocacy of Aboriginal concerns in the larger community, or the excellence in their chosen fields.
Image from National Indigenous Art Fair
NAIDOC Week also includes the National Indigenous Art Fair. The fair is now on its third year. This fair displays works made by First Nations designers, producers, and artists throughout Australia. Featuring many artworks from Artists across remote and outback Australia. The two-day event features fifty stalls, a smoking ceremony, a weaving activity, cooking demos, performances, and children’s activities.
Celebrating First Nations Businesses
As we celebrate NAIDOC Week, we at DulcieDot would also like to recognise initiatives of businesses, organisations and individuals all over Australia. They are doing great things like sharing our culture, using their voice to raise awareness, creating opportunities for our communities to stand up and show up and many other advocacies.
Podcasts
Images from Yarn Quest and Educator Yarns
There are so many great First Nations-led podcasts series you can plug into your ears for educators, adults and kids. Awesome Black Media hosts podcast Yarn Quest. The show is where they bring amazing children's very own stories to life, often read and acted out by the kids themselves (very adorable and empowering!).
Meanwhile, building early childhood educators' cultural confidence is the goal of the Kooricurriculum community's Educator Yarns with Jessica Staines. Jessica, director of the Koori Curriculum, discusses with practitioners from all over Australia who are looking at how to integrate Aboriginal viewpoints into their curriculum, engage with their local Aboriginal community, and create a Reconciliation Action Plan for their services. They also have a book version of the series.
Educational Resources
Image from Riley Callie Resources and Yarn Strong Sista
Riley Callie Resources offers educators authentic Indigenous materials that make it simple to incorporate Indigenous perspectives in schools. They want all Australian children and youth to have access to the extensive knowledge that Indigenous Australians hold. Their goal to introduce the young to a fun and interesting STEM learning method that incorporates Indigenous thinking and settings led to the creation of Riley Callie Resources. They offer books, games, toys, stationary, and many more.
Meanwhile, Yarn Strong Sista specialises in and provides a variety of services, such as visits to Early Childhood settings to facilitate storytelling and art workshops with kids, hosting Professional Development training for Educators, facilitating arts events, and offering First Nations designed resources and educational tools.
First Nations authors wrote so many incredible books. Here are just a couple of our favourite picks;
‘Sun and Moon’, is a story about the power of siblings bonds with very different personalities learning how to work together Buhwi Bira, a warrior, and his sister Baribun, a dreamer. Bronwyn Bancroft illustrated the cover art. Her daughter Aboriginal activist, change maker and thought leader Ella Bancrof wrote it. Sun and Moon is stunning book and a DulcieDot family bedtime favourite.
"Dream Big and Imagine the What If," is a combination of an autobiographical, educational, and motivational book by proud Aboriginal woman and educator Kylie Captain who shares her heartbreaking tale of loss and fate. You will feel inspired and determined to meet life's obstacles head-on with courage and confidence. This includes breaking the cycle and overcoming fear to leveraging the power of education and visualisation. Kylie has also created a Dream Big Journal. Iw has incredible writing prompts, beautiful Aboriginal art and inspirational quotes, to help bring dreams and goals to life.
Healing
Image from Magpie Song Healing and Wonky Lines Counselling
Magpie Song Healing owned by Quechua/Koori sisters Jessie and Lucy offer healing and Self empowering modalities. The goal of the business is to provide accessible support for people who want to heal themselves through various approaches. Jessie and Lucy are passionate about the ability people have to heal themselves. Hence Magpie Song Healing offer sliding scale fees to make these services affordable to mob & POC.
Wonky Lines Counselling is a 100% Aboriginal/Indigenous female owned and operated outreach Narrative Therapy and Support Service. They have been designed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to break Intergenerational Trauma Cycles. Wonky Lines Counselling believes in Self-Determination. They also believe that positive Intergenerational change and healing is possible for people from all cultural backgrounds.
As a fashion business, DulcieDot also supports other Indigenous-owned brands in the industry.
Aboriginal Clothing and Accessories business.
Image from Clothing the Gaps and Amber Days the Label
Clothing the Gaps is an Aboriginal streetwear label uniting non-Indigenous and Aboriginal people through fashion & causes. Fresh & dynamic label celebrating Aboriginal people & culture.
Another Aboriginal fashion label is Amber Days the Label, an ethical childrens and adultwear brand inspired by the Australian bush, desert and sea. Their business model empowers women and value slow fashion, and they aim to using GOTS-certified fabrics or other natural fibres.
Image from Red Sand Sisters and Trading Blak
Red Sand Sisters are an Indigenous family owned gift store that offers handmade traditional Aboriginal weaving, paintings, jewellery, clothing and accessories. ‘Red Sand Sisters’ was inspired by the land proud Murri Kamillaroi Kooma sisters, Natasha and Lisa-May were born.
Trading Blak is a collective of Aboriginal business owners who want to reclaim the Aboriginal business space for Aboriginal people. The founders of Trading Blak came together in an effort to halt the exploitation of Indigenous art by creating a safe and transparent platform to educate, enlighten, and support not only Indigenous owned and run businesses, but also people who wish to support Blak businesses financially or through involvement.
How to Support and Be Involved in the Community
Anyone can take part in the NAIDOC Week celebrations. Being a part of NAIDOC Week not only means going to the local events, but also means celebrating Indigenous culture, supporting one another, and being involved in causes and advocacies. From the individual to organisation level, there is always a way to do this. You can make a stand, use your voice, to show your involvement in important issues in our community.
You can support Blak Businesses, by purchasing from us or sharing with your family and friends but also simply by promoting us on your socials. It does not take a dollar to show your support for us; a simple ‘like”, comment and/or share means so much already.
ALL Australians lets Get Up, Stand Up, and Show Up to do more to make our country better for ALL First Nation's peoples - not just in NAIDOC Week but EVERYDAY.
Website: https://www.naidoc.org.au/
