NAIDOC Week 2012

The Australian Government today welcomed the start of National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week with an announcement of more than $1.6 million to support community events across Australia.

An Aboriginal women’s art exhibition in Moonah, the Gugan Gulwan Youth Talent Quest in Canberra and a reconciliation walk in Broome are among the hundreds of local events that are being help across Australia to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

I encourage everyone to attend an event this week and help us celebrate the enormous contribution that local Indigenous Australians have made to our community.

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in our community to join together to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Indigenous Australians, their contribution to our community and to our nation.

The national theme of this year’s NAIDOC celebrations is Spirit of the Tent Embassy: 40 years on.

This theme celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and acknowledges its long history.

But NAIDOC Week is about more than reflecting on a proud history. It’s also about looking ahead and continuing to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage.

The National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony will be held on 6 July in Hobart. The annual awards recognise contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians make to their communities, to their chosen fields and to broader Australian society.

NAIDOC Week runs from 1-8 July. To find out more about NAIDOC Week activities in your area, visit www.naidoc.org.au or visit your nearest Indigenous Coordination Centre.