{"id":15852,"date":"2023-07-03T05:57:02","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T10:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquent.com\/?p=15852"},"modified":"2023-07-03T05:57:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T10:57:02","slug":"why-naidoc-week-is-so-special","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-beta.aquent.io\/en-au\/blog\/why-naidoc-week-is-so-special","title":{"rendered":"Why NAIDOC Week Is So Special"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a non-Indigenous immigrant woman<\/a>, I have to confess to being more than a little nervous about writing a blog post about NAIDOC Week<\/a>, which runs from 2nd – 9th July, as after all, this time is all about our First Nations people, and, between you and me I feel a little like an intruder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Standing for \u201cNational Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee\u201d, NAIDOC has its roots in the 1920s and 1930s as a protest against the status and treatment of our Indigenous peoples.  Nowadays the week \u2013 which sometimes extends over the month \u2013 is a celebration of the history, culture and achievements<\/strong> of these First Australians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So while it is with great trepidation, I am also embracing the chance to reflect on why I personally believe NAIDOC<\/strong> Week is so special and why this year's theme \u201cFor our Elders<\/em>\u201d is so important, and why we all need it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australia is a unique country in the world, marked by a rich, vibrant and unique contribution from our First Australian peoples, the oldest continuous living culture in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having migrated here in 2011 I have to confess that sadly I knew very little of the rich and rather painful heritage that lay beneath my feet. However, over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting many first nations peoples and being able to build authentic and genuine relationships with them that have afforded me the safe space to ask questions and learn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of knowledge of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander history is a problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was actually stunned to find out recently that more than 80%<\/strong> of Australians feel that they know little or nothing about Aboriginal culture.\u00a0 When I spoke with friends a lot of them were very open and honest about their level of education at school, essential teachings like the black history of Australia were minimal, some had touched briefly on topics like the Stolen Generations<\/a> and thankfully most of them had the privilege to access additional tools of self-learning, but most have never learned of the effects history has really had on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mob of Australia\u2014which is genuinely sad.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have learnt and want to share that First Australians have had and continue to have unfair struggles, and whilst the numbers talk for themselves there is also a positive that comes from the negative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly the first thing that is evident is the disparity between life experiences of First Australian peoples compared to the majority of us from non-Indigenous backgrounds. The statistics are really horrifying, so much so that they drove a national government policy called,<\/strong>Closing the Gap<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are just a couple of the stats included:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n