Saturday, 16 August 2014 00:00
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Every year Australia devotes a week to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of the Aboriginal or Indigenous people. ‘Aboriginal’ is the word coined by the British after they began colonising Australia in 1788 to refer to the inhabitants of the continent at the time. The descendants of those people are also referred to by that name.
Dance
Music
Painting
The week devoted to them is known as NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee) Week and lasts from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday.
During the week activities are held across Australia. Activities include cultural and educational activities in schools and workplaces and public displays of creative talent of the Aboriginals which include paintings and traditional music and dance.
This year’s theme of NAIDOC week was ‘Serving Country: Centenary and Beyond’. Numerous activities were organised in the main cities in each State based on this theme. The Week is intended to reflect on the service by the indigenous men and women and their contribution to the country even at a time when they were not recognised as citizens.
In Perth, the highlight was the NAIDOC Awards to recognise community heroes and their good work. These awards were sponsored by leading private sector firms in association with the Government of Western Australia.
The awards included Female/Male Elder of the Year, Female/Male Youth of the Year & Sportsperson of the Year, Tertiary Scholar of the Year, Carers of the Year (2), Outstanding Achievement, Artist of the Year and Community and Person of the Year. In addition there was an award for Business of the Year and Program of the Year.
The former was won by a housing authority doing a lot on indigenous housing and the latter by the Heart Health programme designed to educate and empower participants to self-manage the chronic disease and reduce future risks. Meanwhile, the Australian universities are having special programs for the Aboriginal community. The Curtin University, for example, have special research and support programs and share the indigenous culture with non-indigenous students.
NAIDOC roots date back to the 1920s when Aboriginal groups first joined together in a bid to raise awareness about their rights and treatment in Australia. More than 90 years later it has grown into a nationwide celebration. It has now become a Week for everyone. The Week is celebrated not just in the Indigenous communities but also in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils and workplaces. Until the 1980s, the sole legal and administrative criterion for inclusion in this category was race, classified according to visible physical characteristics or known ancestors. As in the British slave colonies of North America and the Caribbean, children’s status was determined by that of their mothers; if born to Aboriginal mothers, children were considered Aborigine, regardless of their paternity.
