National NAIDOC Week 2023
National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. You can support and get to know your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through activities and events.
The 2023 NAIDOC Week theme was For Our Elders. See the adjacent video and article below for a recap on the 2023 Celebrations.
2023 NAIDOC Recap
To celebrate this year’s particularly special NAIDOC theme of ‘For Our Elders’, Harvey Aboriginal Corporation (HAC) delivered a week of activities to engage the entire community.
The week commenced with a guided walk tour along the Noongar Kaartdijin Bidi (Noongar Knowledge Trail) on the banks of the Harvey River. Participants were guided by Elder Lesley Ugle and Emerging Elder Ninnette Comito who shared local history and cultural knowledge including traditional bush food and medicine.
Later in the day HAC hosted a NAIDOC Luncheon for local Elders, family representatives and distinguished guests. The Boundary was brought to life featuring the Noongar Six Seasons and showcasing Aboriginal artefacts and literature. Attendees were treated to a three course meal championing native ingredients whilst entertained with local stories and Noongar bingo.
The following day, Harvey Library kindly hosted an interactive ARTefact workshop facilitated by Emerging Elder Brad Vitale. Attendees of all ages learned about traditional artefacts and tools and how they were constructed before getting creative and using Noongar symbols to develop their own artworks.
Later in the week Senior Elder and 2019 National Male Elder of the Year Greg Little deliver an educational cultural conversations session at Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre. Greg engaged attendees with stories of his personal experiences growing up in Harvey, working for the local Shire and supporting prisoners in the justice system.
Concluding this year’s NAIDOC festivities was a three part ‘Noongar on the Big Screen’ event where community members were treated to a screening of animated series Little J and Big Cuz in Noongar, documentary The First Inventors, and acclaimed movie filmed in Pinjarra Three Summers. Classic cinema treats were available with the old school milkshakes being a hit!
Thank you to the National Indigenous Australians Alliance and Shire of Harvey for supporting this year’s events.
