 |
| © Commonwealth of Australia 2012 |
It’s NAIDOC Week and an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme is the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions to Federal Parliament – a significant catalyst in the history of land rights and constitutional reform for Indigenous Australians.
The bark petitions, signed by 13 clan leaders of the Yolngu region of the Northern Territory in response to bauxite mining in Arnhem Land, were the first traditional documents formally accepted by Parliament. According to the NAIDOC Committee, “the foresight, strength and determination of the Yolngu people” is recognised by this year’s choice of the NAIDOC week theme.
Here are some suggestions about how to get into the spirit of NAIDOC Week:
- Learn more about the history of the bark petitions
- Check out the Local NAIDOC Events Calendar for celebrations in your area
- Take a look at some ideas for celebrating the week
- Watch First Footprints – the excellent 4-part Australian history documentary series screening on ABC1 from Sunday, July 14
- Listen to the NAIDOC Week highlights of radio programs on ABC Radio National and ABC Extra
- And stay tuned for NAIDOC Week activities around the campuses in the coming months!
Great work CSU 🙂