NAIDOC Week ‘Because of Her, We Can’

NAIDOC Week 2018 Poster

Artwork: tarmunggie-woman
Artist: Cheryl Moggs

The 2018 National NAIDOC Poster was designed by Cheryl Moggs, a Bigambul woman from Goondiwindi, Queensland. Cheryl drew on the history, courage and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to educate others. The artwork (tarmunggie – woman) has three overlaying images, connecting dreamtime, culture and knowledge.

BECAUSE OF HER, WE CAN!

Theme: NAIDOC Week 2018 celebrates the invaluable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made – and continue to make – to our communities, our families, our rich history and to our nation.

“This artwork portrays the courage and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. From the ripples of fresh water and salt water, across the travel pathways and song lines of our traditional lands and skies”.

NAIDOC WEEK 8-15 JULY 2018

Background: 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 a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Origin: NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself. Find out more about the origins and timeline history of NAIDOC Week. Find out the history of the Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag under Australian Flags.

Awards: Each year there is a different focus city for the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Person of the Year
Female Elder of the Year
Male Elder of the Year
Caring for Country Award
Youth of the Year
Artist of the Year
Scholar of the Year
Apprentice of the Year
Sportsperson of the Year

This year the focus city of Sydney will start NAIDOC Week with the 2018 National NAIDOC Awards announced at a black tie ceremony and ball. National NAIDOC Poster Competition and the NAIDOC Awards recipients are selected by the National NAIDOC Committee.

Website: naidoc.org.au
Facebook: facebook.com/@NAIDOC
Twitter: #NAIDOC2018 #BecauseOfHerWeCan

To learn more about NAIDOC Week activities in your area, contact your nearest Regional Office.

♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward

NAIDOC Week Statement 01

‘Don’t Keep History A Mystery’

Read a story which is thousands of years old. I’d like to share the email I received from Mr Miller on National Sorry Day and to commemorate National Reconciliation Week––

“My name is Glen Miller, I am a Board Director of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and a descendant of the Butchulla people of the Fraser coast (Queensland). Today we acknowledge the 10th anniversary of National Sorry Day, a milestone in Australia’s history. This National Day of Healing is at the heart of our steps towards reconciliation. Tomorrow marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week and we reflect on this year’s theme: ‘LEARN, SHARE, GROW – DON’T KEEP HISTORY A MYSTERY’. Here, we are invited to explore our past as a country; learn, share and acknowledge the rich histories and cultures of the First Australians; and develop a deeper understanding of our national story.

“Today I would like to share a story that is thousands of years old, that has been passed on from one generation to the next, and nearly came to be lost…

“For many thousands of years the Butchulla people have been travelling between Queensland’s K’Gari (Fraser Island) and the mainland; catching winter mullet in stone fish traps set along Hervey Bay and trading with the mob up around the Bunya mountains. There are three laws that the Butchulla people live by: 1) What’s best for the land comes first, 2) If you have plenty, you must share, and 3) Do not touch or take anything that does not belong to you.

“While these were the laws that were taught to the children, they were also told stories that describe the origin of the land: The Legends of Moonie Jarl. These stories tell how the wallaby got its pouch, how the boomerang was invented, and how the little firebird came to have that bright scarlet spot on its back. These stories were told to me as a boy by my uncle Wilfy in the The Legends of Moonie Jarl. The year was 1964 and it was the first Aboriginal children’s book published and authored by Aboriginal people.

“Three years after its publication, Indigenous people were finally recognised as Australian citizens and 50 years on the stories continue to be shared among the Butchulla people. In 2014, our Foundation re-published The Legends of Moonie Jarl so now the stories are available to share with all Australian children.

Indigenous Literacy Foundation “A book isn’t just for reading; it’s more powerful than the information it provides. Reconciliation Week is an opportunity to look at the truths that need to be told and celebrate our stories. This National Reconciliation Week I invite you to learn and share these rich histories and cultures of Indigenous people, and develop a deeper understanding of our national story. Please support the work of our Foundation by purchasing a copy of The Legends of Moonie Jarl or making a donation.”