A guide to celebrating NAIDOC Week at work

Tuesday June 28, 2022

NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not just in the Indigenous communities, but also in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils and workplaces.

NAIDOC Week 2022 will be held from Sunday 3 July to Sunday 10 July with the theme, “Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!” Getting Up, Standing Up, and Showing Up can take many forms – especially in the workplace.

It’s a call to move beyond just acknowledgement, good intentions, empty words and promises, and hollow commitments. Now’s your time to get your workplace involved in NAIDOC Week 2022.

  1. It’s the perfect opportunity to establish a protocol of commencing all meetings and events with a Welcome to Country or an Acknowledgement of Country. Not sure what’s appropriate? Visit reconciliation.org.au/acknowledgement-of-country-and-welcome-to-country/ to find out about the correct wording.
  2. You could also place an Acknowledgement of Country at the entrance to your workplace. By doing so, you’re recognising and paying your respects to the traditional custodians of the land. In the same spirit, add an Acknowledgement of Country to all staff email signatures.
  3. Take the opportunity to start a discussion about Reconciliation. Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) provide a framework for organisations across sectors to realise the vision for reconciliation. Based around the core pillars of relationships, respect and opportunities, RAPs provide tangible and substantive benefits for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To find out more about RAPs, visit www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/
  4. Display the National NAIDOC Poster or other Indigenous posters around your workplace. Find resources here: naidoc.org.au/posters/2022-poster. Or, your business could work with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist to produce an artwork representing the theme.
  5. Learn more about the land your office is on. View a map of Aboriginal Australia to find out which land you are on: http://nationalunitygovernment.org/pdf/aboriginal-australia-map.pdf
  6. Host a community barbecue or lunch, along with a flag-raising ceremony or smoking ceremony.

For more ideas or to register an event, visit www.naidoc.org.au

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