It’s NAIDOC Week – a time in Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Postponed from its usual month of July due to COVID-19, NAIDOC Week runs from 8-15 November.
This year’s theme is ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’. It recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for the continent for more than 50,000 years.
Healthy North Coast’s Deputy Director of Aboriginal Health, Marni Tuala, says NAIDOC Week is ‘a time when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people feel an immense pride in celebrating our culture, communities and stories and collectively being a part of the world’s oldest living culture’.
“NAIDOC Week is particularly important this year because of the situation we’ve faced in 2020 with COVID-19 and the additional risk to our community,” says Ms Tuala.
“We’ve risen to the challenge and shown our resilience.”