NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
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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.
NAIDOC originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee.
This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.
NAIDOC Week in Katherine
Tuesday
Morning Tea at the Katherine Hospital from 10-11.30am.
The Sapphires will be screened at the Lindsay Street Complex from 6.30pm.
Wednesday
Elders morning tea at Wurli Wurlinjang from 10am-noon.
Traditional story telling and children’s activities at the Katherine Town Library from 2- 3.30pm.
Thursday
Kalano aged care morning tea and at Kalano Community Aged Care Centre from 10-11.30am.
Friday
Head to the Lindsay Street Complex from 10.30am-2pm for the NAIDOC March followed by a barbecue.
The NAIDOC Ball will be held at GYRACC on Friday night.
Saturday
A softball carnival will be held at the Katherine Community Sports Ground and a family fun day at Kalano Community Sports Ground, times have not been confirmed.
From noon till 6pm there will be darts at the Katherine Club.
Sunday
Closing Ceremony and awards brunch from 10.30am-1pm at Katherine Town Council.
Our NAIDOC patron
Director of the Aboriginal Interpreter Service, Colleen Rosas, has been announced as the patron for this year’s NAIDOC Week celebrations in the Top End.
The 2017 NAIDOC Week theme is Our languages matter and focuses on the role and importance of language to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“As the Patron of Top End NAIDOC, amongst other things, I will be promoting the use of Aboriginal languages in everyday interactions,” Ms Rosas said.
As Director of the Aboriginal Interpreter Service, Ms Rosas oversees the delivery of interpreting services by more than 300 Aboriginal interpreters across 33 languages.
AIS interpreters undertake assignments in a range of areas across government, private enterprise and non-government organisations.
Ms Rosas said she is pleased the theme for this year’s NAIDOC week focuses on Aboriginal languages.
“The Aboriginal Interpreter Service has been operating for 17 years and plays a critical role in assisting Aboriginal Territorians to access mainstream services,” Ms Rosas said.
“So many of our languages haven’t been used, or have been lost, and until recently, our languages have only been preserved by family and clan connections.
“We are happy that our languages are finally being acknowledged as the first Australian languages.”
There are approximately 35,000 Aboriginal people in the NT that speak an Aboriginal language at home.
