Tweed Shire Council is proud to support this year's NAIDOC Week (Sunday 2 July – Sunday 7 July) which promises a vibrant calendar of events celebrating the contribution of First Nations people to the Tweed.
Festivities include a sports and cultural day, beach and water activities, fishing workshops, a NAIDOC dinner dance and the annual Tweed NAIDOC march and corroboree in the park.
The week and its events are coordinated by the Tweed Heads NAIDOC Committee.
Every year, national NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July, to honour and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It also opens up 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.
This year's theme, For Our Elders, celebrates the vital role Elders have played and continue to play in communities and families – and how through their strength, knowledge and experience they have set the many courses we follow today.
The official Tweed Heads NAIDOC Week program will begin with a flag-raising ceremony on Sunday 2 July at the Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Museum in Tweed Heads South at 9 am.
On Monday 3 July, the Museum will host a cultural day, followed by a fishing workshop and barbecue for young people hosted by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).
A Hall of Fame Induction and Reflection will take place on Tuesday 4 July, followed by a lunch for Elders/Seniors. A Sports Day and Expo will take place at Arkinstall Park on Wednesday 5 July, with surfing, water sports and beach activities to be held at Fingal Head on Thursday 6 July as part of Juraki Saltwater Day activities.
On Friday 7 July, the annual Tweed NAIDOC March will start at the Tweed Civic Centre from 10 am. The community will march along Wharf Street to Jack Evans Boat Harbour for a community gathering or corroboree in the park.
The week's activities will close in style, with a Tweed NAIDOC Dinner Dance at Coolangatta Tweed Golf Club from 6 pm on Friday 7 July. Tickets are essential.
Aunty Dale Williams, Elder and Goodjinburra descendant who is also a member of Council's Aboriginal Advisory Committee, encouraged all Tweed residents to join in the week's activities.
"NAIDOC week is about the community coming together to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Tweed Bundjalung country," Aunty Dale said.
"Our Elders have kept our culture alive, passing it down from generation to generation – this week is all about our culture's survival."
Council's Community Development Officer Tim Appo said this year's NAIDOC Week offered a reminder to everyone that we should respect and learn from our Elders.
"NAIDOC week is an important week in the Tweed's calendar and this year it's about the celebration of those who have shown us the way," Mr Appo said.
"It's a time to have manners, listen and absorb from our Elders and their decades of wisdom."
