The theme this year is Heal Country. Country is more than a place.
NAIDOC Week celebrations will be held across Australia Sunday 4 to Sunday 11 July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Heal Country Statement is a rallying cry for all Australians to get behind NAIDOC Week and celebrate our First Nations. It calls for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and heritage.
Country is inherent to our identity.
It sustains our lives in every aspect - spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally.
It is more than a place.
When we talk about Country it is spoken of like a person.
Country is family, kin, law, lore, ceremony, traditions, and language. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples it has been this way since the dawn of time.
Through our languages and songs, we speak to Country; through our ceremonies and traditions we sing to - and celebrate Country – and Country speak to us.
Increasingly, we worry about Country.
For generations Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been calling for stronger measures to recognise, protect, and maintain all aspects of our culture and heritage for all Australians.
But to truly heal Country we have more to do.
Healing Country is more than changing a word in our national anthem – it is about the historical, political, and administrative landscapes adapting to successfully empower and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, nations, and heritage.
We are all looking for significant and lasting change.
We cannot afford to let pass the very real opportunity that now presents itself for reform based on a fundamental change in the relationship Australia has with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Heal Country
The full Heal Country Statement
NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life.
The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Get involved
- Virtually attend one of the many online events available in the NAIDOC Week Official Calendar
- Watch special NAIDOC Week Programming on SBS/NITV and ABC
- Learn more about the country on which you live and work using the AIATSIS map of Indigenous Australia
- Check out some music and podcasts from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island creators.
- Support a local Indigenous business.
