National NAIDOC Week celebrations are being held across Australia this week, including a gathering in Wangaratta at Batchelors Green tomorrow.

These events are an opportunity for the community to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

NAIDOC Week is 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 ‘Fifty Years of Deadly’ marks a milestone of five decades of NAIDOC Week celebrating culture, honouring resistance, calling for truth, and reminding Australia of the people, stories and connections that shape our nation.

The theme is a tribute to the people who built the movement, including the Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up, year after year.

In a time when the media is full of divisive messages and hateful content, this week is an important reminder to reflect on the people, stories and connections that shape our nation.

This week, take the time to reflect on the legacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, both in our community and across Australia whose voices, leadership and resilience have shaped NAIDOC into what it is today.

Let’s gather together to celebrate culture as a community, to reflect on the past and look to the future, a path that we can all walk together.

In doing so, Wangaratta can honour the spirit of NAIDOC Week not just this week, but through ongoing respect, understanding and commitment to walking together.