But what is NAIDOC Week and why is it an important date on the calendar? Lindsay, who joined RAA in February as the organisation’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Specialist, sat down to have a chat about the annual celebration and what it means to him.

Can you tell us a bit about your role as the RAP Specialist at RAA?

Lindsay: My main role is supporting RAA with our Reconciliation Action Plan, which is all about growing relationships with First Nations People, building an understanding of cultures, histories and knowledge and promoting reconciliation. This includes building more relationships with the community and a big part of that is working closely with our community partner the Tjindu Foundation.

What does National NAIDOC Week mean to you?

Lindsay: For me, personally, it’s a celebration of Aboriginal culture. It’s something that we should be really proud of.

We’re the longest living culture in the world, and I think that should be celebrated. With Reconciliation Week and now NAIDOC Week, it just gives us an opportunity to all come together and celebrate the longest living culture in the world.

And for me, as an Aboriginal man, I just take so much pride in the week, and it’s an opportunity to continue educating my non-Aboriginal brothers and sisters, and making sure that we’re showcasing our culture, because it is unique.

It’s a very special week, and it gives us an opportunity to continue and celebrate our culture.

What’s the difference between NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week?

Lindsay: So, Reconciliation Week is about recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Peoples and celebrating how far we have come, and also our cultures. NAIDOC Week is all about celebrating our cultures and what we’ve overcome. We want to celebrate our cultures with our non-indigenous brothers and sisters, so it’s coming together and doing that.

And again, it’s about awareness too. I love it when this time of year comes around because it means we can come together to celebrate our culture.

How do you celebrate NAIDOC Week?

Lindsay: It’s recognising my Elders that came before me, making sure we celebrate the sacrifices they made when they were young, because times were different back then.

I’ve got a young family, so I want to make sure I’m exposing my kids to our cultures as well, and I also want to continue learning. There’s a lot of things happening around Adelaide, including the NAIDOC March and Family Fun Day.

What are some of the ways we can celebrate NAIDOC Week?

Lindsay: There are a lot of events happening around South Australia. Like I mentioned, there’s the big NAIDOC March and Family Fun Day on Friday the 7^th of July. That’s in the city, so they’ll march from Tarntanyangga (Victoria Square) at 11am to Parliament House. The celebrations include different stalls and activities, food, and a free concert.

There are also all different things happening within schools and organisations as well so people can get involved.

Why is NAIDOC Week an important celebration on our calendar?

Lindsay: For me as an Aboriginal man, we want to be able to continually educate and teach and share our cultures, because we think it’s unique. We want to celebrate that, and educate our brothers and sisters and non-Indigenous brothers and sisters.

We want to celebrate what is the longest living culture in the world, come together, and keep striving to get better.

And we, as all Australians, we want to be able to come together and celebrate and have fun at the same time.