Happy #NAIDOC Week!

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is celebrated by all Australians and is a great opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The theme this year is Heal Country. Country is more than a place. Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language.

Healing Country means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia’s national heritage.

The right to protect Country and culture is fundamental. Destruction and desecration of our sacred lands or ancient sites – some of the oldest human occupation sites on the planet – is an enormous loss for both our nation and the world. But to truly heal Country we have more to do.

The winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC poster competition for 2021 is Maggie-Jean Douglas – a Gubbi Gubbi artist from South East Queensland. Her entry – Care For Country – was chosen from 260 entries in the national competition. Ms Douglas’ artwork represents communities/people, animals and bush medicines spread over different landscapes of red dirt, green grass, bush land and coastal areas to tell the story of the many ways country can and has healed us throughout our lives and journeys.

Learn more about NAIDOC Week’s history and this year’s theme here.