Activities for NAIDOC week

Thank you to the subscriber who reminded me of the National NAIDOC celebration. This is an indigenous Australian week with a chosen theme each year to reflect the important achievements and issues facing indigenous Australia. This year's theme is: 'Taking Responsibility for the Future'.

NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) is celebrated in July. It is celebrated for a whole week from the 3rd to the 10th of July. It seeks to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of indigenous Australians as well as promote its culture; music, history, art and crafts. Here are a few ideas on how to celebrate this date.

Plan a day where entertainment, food, craft, music, TV and films relate to aboriginal Australia.

• Decorate the facility with aboriginal posters.
• Listen to indigenous music.
• Read a biography of a famous Aboriginal Australian e.g. Bennelong (mediator), Neville Bonner (first indigenous senator), Cathy Freeman( athlete) Eddie Mabo (land rights campaigner), Albert Namatjira (artist).
• Raise an aboriginal flag when people are gathered for morning tea.
• Serve morning tea with native honey spread onto pancakes or fresh bread.
• Hold a craft session after morning tea for Aboriginal Dot Painting.
• Read a Dreamtime story.
• Hire a DVD of the 'Bush Tucker Man' or an indigenous movie such as 'Ten Canoes' or 'Rabbit Proof Fence'.
• Have a Boomerang competition.
• Read some trivia: 'Who Am I?', 'Aboriginal Baby Names', 'Indigenous Quiz', 'Indigenous Word Search'.

The full range of NAIDOC activities are available here: July Activities - including NAIDOC