Celebrating First Australians this NAIDOC Week

29/06/2017

Celebrating First Australians this NAIDOC Week

Next week is NAIDOC week – an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

To mark the significance of NAIDOC week, the Coalition Government has provided $1.4 million in grants to support community events across the nation that celebrate our First Australians.

Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien was pleased to announce Wide Bay had received $16,800 from the Coalition Government to support the following NAIDOC celebrations:

• $2,000 for Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services for an open day.
• $5,500 for Cooloola Aboriginal Services Incorporated for NAIDOC celebrations.
• $4,000 for Maryborough Aboriginal Housing Corporation & Cultural Development for the 2017 Fraser Coast NAIDOC Ball.
• $800 for Maryborough Special P&C Association for a Learn Our Language program.
• $4,500 for the Ration Shed Museum  to promote and celebrate culture at Cherbourg.

Mr O’Brien congratulated the organisations on their successful applications, and encouraged all residents to take part in the events.

“These NAIDOC Week events are a fantastic way to celebrate our local Indigenous community, and gain a better appreciation of the diversity of Wide Bay’s Indigenous art, language and cultures,” he said.

“I acknowledge and value the many contributions made by Indigenous Australians in Wide Bay, and recognise their important place in our community’s culture and history.”

The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion, said the number and quality of grant proposals received this year reflected an ever-growing interest in celebrating the vibrant culture of our First Australians.

“The national theme this year is Our Languages Matter in recognition of the vital role Indigenous languages play in promoting community wellbeing and culture,” Minister Scullion said.

“This year’s theme has been beautifully reflected in the NAIDOC poster proudly designed by Wiradjuri woman, Joanne Cassady, that represents some of the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and nations across Australia.”

The Coalition Government is proud to protect, preserve and celebrate Indigenous languages as part of the living story of our shared history and committed an additional $10 million to support this last year. 

This investment builds on the $20 million allocated each year under the Indigenous Languages and Arts programme that aims to address the erosion of an estimated 250 original Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and more than 600 dialects.

NAIDOC Week runs from 2-9 July. Information about NAIDOC Week community events near you can be found at: www.naidoc.org.au