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What
does NAIDOC stand for?
NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Day of Observance Committee. The acronym for this Committee
“NAIDOC” has now become commonly known as a weeklong
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural festival celebrated
annually in the first full week of July.
The
festival has a long history, stemming back to a human rights
movement for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people
in the 1920s. NAIDOC however was not officially started as
a Committee until 1957. It was the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC
in 2007.
1920s
and 1930s
The need for activism Prior to the 1920s, Aboriginal Rights
groups had boycotted Australia Day in protest against the
status and treatment of Indigenous Australians. By the 1920s,
they were increasingly aware that the media were largely ignorant
of this effort. If the movement were to make progress, it
would need to be active.
Several
organisations ermerged to fill this role, particularly the
Australian Aborigines Progressive Association in 1924 and
the Australian Aborigines League in 1932. Their efforts were
largely ignored and due to police harassment the AAPA was
forced to abandon their work in 1927.
In 1932, William Cooper, founder of the AAL, drafted a petition
to send to King George V. The government of the day held that
the petition fell outside their constitutional responsibilities.
In 1937, Cooper submitted the petition, but the government
did not forward it.
1938: The Day of Mourning
On Australia Day, 1938, protestors marched through the streets
of Sydney. The march was a prelude to a congress that was
attended by around 1000 people. This was one of the first
major civil rights gatherings in the world and was known as
the Day of Mourning. It also set the stage for later counter-movements
on Australia Day which have since become more widely known
as , such as Invasion Day or Survival Day.
The following
week, a deputation from the congress presented the Prime Minister
with a proposed national policy for Aboriginal people. At
the time the government did not hold constitutional powers
in relation to Aboriginal people so the policy was rejected.
After the Day of Mourning, there was a growing feeling that
it should be a regular event. In 1939 William Cooper wrote
to the National Missionary Council of Australia to seek their
assistance in supporting and promoting an annual event.
1940
– 1956: Aborigines Day
From 1940 until 1955, the Sunday before Australia Day was
the Day of Mourning, now known as Aborigines Day. The NMCA
believed that the day should become not simply a protest day
but also a celebration of Indigenous culture and so in 1955
the day was shifted to the first Sunday in July.
1957
– 1990: NADOC is formed
In 1957, major Aboriginal organisations, the state and federal
governments and a number of church groups all supported the
formation of NADOC – the National Aborigines Day Observance
Committee. At the same time, the second Sunday in July became
a day of remembrance for Aboriginal people and their heritage.
In 1972, the Department for Aboriginal Affairs was formed,
following from the outcome of the 1967 referendum. In 1974,
the committee for the first time was composed of entirely
Aboriginal members. The following year, it was decided that
the event should cover a week, from the first to second Sundays
in July.
In 1984,
NADOC asked that National Aborigines Day be made a national
public holiday, to help celebrate and recognise the rich cultural
history that makes Australia unique. While this has not happened,
the call has been echoed by other groups, including ATSIC.
In 1991,
with a growing awareness of the distinct cultural histories
of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islander peopless, NADOC became
known as the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance
Committee, NAIDOC. This new name has become the name by which
the whole week is now called, not just the day.
Mid
1990s – 2005: ATSIC control of NAIDOC
During
the mid-1990s through to 2005, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Commission (ATSIC) took over the management of NAIDOC.
During this time, ATSIC assisted in funding and coordination
of NAIDOC events throughout Australia. In July 2005, ATSIC
was disbanded.
2005:
National NAIDOC Committee
After ATSIC’s disbandment, a caretaker National NAIDOC
Committee was appointed. Since then, that Committee and the
NAIDOC Secretariat have and continue to:
- set
the theme and host city for NAIDOC each year;
- hosted
a website (www.naidoc.org) and made media releases; and
- organised
the national NAIDOC Awards, poster competition, Ball and
Awards Ceremony.
2006:
NAIDOC Perth is formed
In 2006, community members in Perth formed a NAIDOC Committee
to promote and assist in the coordination of the 50th anniversary
of NAIDOC in Perth. In January 2008, NAIDOC Perth registered
as an Incorporated Association. The preamble to the Constitution
of NAIDOC Perth (Inc.) states that:
“NAIDOC
Perth aspires to assist in the promotion, coordination and
organisation of NAIDOC week activities in the Perth metropolitan
area. NAIDOC Perth’s goals and purposes are focused
on the preservation and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander cultures and the education of non-Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander people about the history and
contemporary aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people.”
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