NAIDOC Week: 7-14 July

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As 2019 is also the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages, the 2019 theme ‘Voice. Treaty. Truth.’ focuses on the indigenous voice as an instrument for knowledge sharing and significant and lasting change.

Voice, Treaty and Truth are integral to the reforms set out in the Uluru Statement of the Heart, which include:

•     a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution
•     a Makarrata Commission to oversee treaty processes and truth-telling

The Yolngu word Makarrata signifies the coming together of two parties after a struggle, healing the divisions of the past. This year's theme is a call to action, continuing the struggle of Australia's first peoples over many years to have their voice for recognition and empowerment heard. The implementation of the Uluru Statement of the Heart would have profound benefits for both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Australia as a whole.

There are many ways to get involved in NAIDOC events in both Townsville and Cairns, including the free forum, Where to from Uluru? Statements from the Heart on Thursday, 4 July at the Pullman Cairns International, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander champions, Thomas Mayor, Carla McGrath and Dean Parkin. Why not read the Uluru Statement of the Heart and decide how you can 'work together for a shared future'?