NAIDOC Week 2020 to be celebrated online

Published on 04 November 2020

Mildura Rural City Council will take its annual celebration of First Peoples’ culture online next week as part of NAIDOC Week 2020.

NAIDOC Week is an important national event that celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and will this year run from 8 November to 15 November.

In recent years, Council and the Aboriginal Action Committee (AAC) have marked and celebrated this special event with the annual Corroboree on the Mildura riverfront.

This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, Council and the AAC have worked together to look at other ways our community can celebrate and learn more about our region's rich Traditional culture, despite the pandemic.

The result is a diverse collection of online content that will feature on Council's website and social media channels including local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, performances and messages.

They include local authors Nastsha Uhl and Luke Morgan, artists Badger Bates and William Hannah, and mixed martial arts champion and community leader Shantelle Thompson, and many more.

Council Chief Executive Officer Sarah Philpott encouraged the community to embrace NAIDOC Week 2020 and visit Council's website to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and learn more about our region's Traditional history and culture, as well as the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Ms Philpott said.

"Despite the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, it's important it doesn't prevent us continuing to do what we can to ensure important events and celebrations continue in our community, and NAIDOC Week is certainly one of them."

Council's NAIDOC Week 2020 page will go live from the start of NAIDOC Week on 8 November and will be accessible by visiting www.mildura.vic.gov.au/NAIDOC2020.  Select content from the page will also feature on Council's social media channels.

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2020 is Always Was, Always Will Be, which recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for more than 65,000 years.

For more information contact Social and Community Planning Officer Kerren Miles on (03) 5018 8100.

ENDS