This week we are celebrating NAIDOC Week and the contribution Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders make to sport in Australia.
The 2021 theme – Heal Country – means embracing First Nation’s cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage. That the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders are respected equally to and the cultures and values of all Australians.
There are many ways to celebrate NAIDOC Week, such as:
Yulunga Traditional Indigenous Games
Learn and experience aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Suitable for children and adults of all ages, abilities and backgrounds, Yulunga can be used in schools around Australia as an educational resource and as a guide to inclusive, structured sport within communities.
Binnaway students actively respect ‘Gunimaa’
In 2018, Sports Coordinator Jacob Black was looking for something to challenge his students at Binnaway
Central School and develop their skills. He found Sporting Schools and his students have been reaping the benefits ever since.
With a high number of Aboriginal children enrolled at the school, Jacob chose Rugby Australia’s Deadly 7s program to encourage his students to get involved in sport and to promote the broader benefits of getting active.
“Apart from introducing the kids to rugby, I knew it also educated them on the importance of attending school, living a healthy lifestyle, teamwork and connecting with their culture.”
NAIDOC Week 2021: “Going home is such a refresh. I feel brand new”
To proud Wiradjuri woman and AIS Share a Yarn Ambassador Gabby Coffey, her family is what helps her stay connected to country.
Hear what this year’s NAIDOC Week theme – Heal Country – means to her.
Share a Yarn
The Share a Yarn initiative aims to provide Australian Elite Athletes with meaningful opportunities to connect and build relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) communities, and learn more about the differing cultures, lands, histories, and people within them.
It aims to provide a platform for athletes to then share these learnings and advocate within the sporting community, and wider Australian community.