The 2011 NAIDOC Week celebrations are an opportunity to recognise the contributions Aboriginal and Islander Australians make to this country. It’s a celebration of the Aboriginal and Islander culture.
This year’s NAIDOC theme is “Change: The next step is ours”. The Richmond Valley will celebrate NAIDOC week by taking the "next step” and conduct a special march and award ceremony on Monday 4 July.
Do you know someone in the Richmond Valley Local Government area who should be nominated for a NAIDOC award? If you do it’s time to nominate them before it’s too late.
“It’s a great way to highlight the contributions that are being made to the community by Aboriginal and Islander Australians, no matter how big or small the contributions are” said Richmond Valley Mayor Col Sullivan.
NAIDOC Week has been happening since the 1970’s. 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.
To mark the occasion in the Richmond Valley, a flag raising ceremony will take place at 10.15am on Monday 4 July (at the Council Offices in Graham Place), followed by a march up Walker Street, then Canterbury Street, before returning to Richmond Valley Council Chambers.
At 11am an awards ceremony will take place, which will honour those Indigenous Australians living within the Richmond Valley for their contributions to the community.
Award categories include:
- Person of the year
- Elder of the year – female
- Elder of the year – male
- Apprentice of the year (musical and visual)
- Lifetime Achievement of the year
- Sportsperson of the year
- Youth of the year
- Caring for our Country award
Nominations are available by calling Richmond Valley Council’s Coordinator of Community Services and Social Planning Joanne Petrovic on 666 00 300 or online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/NAIDOC2011
Nominations close on the 30 June 2011.
