Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! is the theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week.
A call to action – the 2022 theme encourages all of us to champion institutional, structural, collaborative, and cooperative change while celebrating key moments and individuals who have already driven and led change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over generations.
It also highlights the need to work together to maintain this momentum, and for genuine commitments that lead to better outcomes for our community.
Wuthathi and Meriam man, John Paul Janke is the co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee as well as host of the Point on NITV he says First Nations people have a proud history of getting up, standing up, and showing up for our people and our communities.
“That goes way back to the frontier wars and our earliest resistance fighters to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities fighting for change today—we continue to show up,” he said.
“We all must continue to Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! for systemic change and keep rallying around our mob, our Elders, and our communities.”
Mr Janke hopes this year’s NAIDOC Week and theme can be used to move beyond just acknowledgement, good intentions, empty words and promises, and hollow commitments.
“The relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non‑Indigenous Australians needs to be based on justice, equity, and the proper recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights.”
With the announcement of the theme also comes an opportunity for talented First Nations artists to have their work recognised nationally as part of NAIDOC’s annual Poster Competition.
John Paul Janke on behalf of the National NAIDOC Committee invites mob over the age of 13 to become a part of NAIDOC history and submit an artwork based on the 2022 theme.
“The winning artist will receive a $10,000 cash price and their artwork will be used as the official 2022 National NAIDOC Week Poster. Additionally, they will receive a ticket for themselves and one guest to the National NAIDOC Awards ceremony.”
The NAIDOC Committee are also seeking nominations for this year’s National NAIDOC Awards to be held on Saturday 2 July at this year’s Focus City Narrm (Melbourne), Victoria.
Mr Janke said you can nominate anyone over the ten categories that you think has empowered Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples in their communities and beyond? Who has promoted Indigenous issues in the wider community? Or who has shown excellence in their chosen field?
NAIDOC Week 2022 will be held from Sunday 3 July to Sunday 10 July.
Award nominations close Monday 11 April 2022 (11:59PM AEST)
The Poster Competition closes Monday 14 March 2022 (11:59PM AEDT)
To find our more information visit the NAIDOC website here
