Under the theme – Because of Her, We Can! – NAIDOC Week 2018 will be held nationally from Sunday 8 July to Sunday 15 July.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have played – and continue to play – active and significant roles at the community, local, state and national levels. They are mothers, elders, grandmothers, aunties, sisters and daughters.
For at least 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried dreaming stories, songlines, languages and knowledge that have kept Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture strong.
NAIDOC week is a time for Tweddle staff, families and the community to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society.
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians. The theme for 2017 is ‘Our Languages Matter’.
Tweddle has the privilege to work alongside Aboriginal health workers, mums, dads, babies and toddlers as part of our early parenting support programs.
We are currently part of a consortium of key agencies in the west working on a project called Footprints for Success – Aboriginal Kids and Families in the West in the LGAs of Wyndham, Brimbank and Maribyrnong.
Lead by VACCA, this project aims to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to improve the health and wellbeing of children, including through trust and capacity building, and strengthening their say and authority in the health and early years’ service environments.
To ensure our services reflect and respect Aboriginal parenting culture, heritage, learning practices and awareness of intergenerational trauma, Tweddle has developed a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) or Reflect RAP.
Tweddle’s ‘Reflect’ RAP gives staff and management the time and opportunity to raise awareness and support within the organisation and well as building a commitment to cultural protocols considering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment.
Tweddle’s goal is to be part of the national effort to acknowledge and address past and present injustices against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to provide services that reflect, respect and embrace the strength, culture and diversity of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Tweddle will be attending the City of Maribyrnong NAIDOC Week Yarn Bombing Installation on Monday, 09 July. The installation will feature yarn pieces that celebrate the presence of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Pom Poms, made in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flag colours, will be displayed at the front of the Braybrook Community Hub during NAIDOC Week.
For more information about NAIDOC week and events visit the NAIDOC Week website.
