NAIDOC Week 2020 by Will & Sandra Dumas

NAIDOC WEEK 8 – 15 November 2020

The National NAIDOC Committee has announced that this year NAIDOC Week will be held from 8–15 November 2020, after it was cancelled in July due to Covid19. This week is a significant time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and a great opportunity for churches to celebrate the Indigenous people of the nation.

Pastors Will & Sandra Dumas, who lead the ACC Indigenous Committee, are encouraging ACC churches to celebrate NAIDOC Week as part of their community and include this on their annual calendar of events.

“NAIDOC Week is one of the best opportunities to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture, talent and resilience,” says Will. “Momentum is building as a growing number of churches are reaching into their communities to embrace the Indigenous culture.” “This is an opportunity for our churches to host a NAIDOC Service and celebrate the rich history, diverse cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in your local community,” Will explains. “It’s an open door of evangelism, reconciliation and true togetherness that is waiting for you and your church to create and make your very own.”

Hope Centre is one of the churches that is actively involved in NAIDOC Week every year. “We’re never going to reach people or see healing in our land unless we intentionally engage,” says ACC National President Wayne Alcorn. “There is a lot of pain amongst our Indigenous people. By celebrating NAIDOC week and serving our Indigenous brothers and sisters, we open the door to healing.”

Why celebrate NAIDOC in your community? Sandra Dumas points out, “It is a God initiative that brings healing and wholeness as NAIDOC was birthed out of deep pain.” “There was a time in our nation where being an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person was despised and looked down on,” explains Sandra. “Meanwhile in our churches, we were taught that all people are equal and God was not partial. It was here that a cry went up to God – like the children of Israel cried out to God. This very cry united the Church, who with justice and righteousness, established the day of mourning which we know today as the NAIDOC week of celebrations. This birthed a movement of unity in our nation, the Church stood arm in arm with their Indigenous brothers and sisters.”

“As the psalmist says, ‘You, God, have turned my mourning into dancing,’” Sandra continues. “It’s time to move forward, to learn and acknowledge the past, to bring healing in Jesus’ Name into these wounds that have crippled our Indigenous people and communities.” Will encourages Senior Pastors to recognise the benefits of celebrating NAIDOC. “Let’s celebrate NAIDOC TOGETHER in our communities,” he says, “bringing hope, bringing joy, bringing acceptance and acknowledge with the celebration of our Indigenous peoples. Let’s take this opportunity to create a together future.” WHAT A NAIDOC SERVICE LOOKS LIKE: • Open in Prayer: by Senior Minister • Welcome: by Community Elder or Acknowledgement to the Land & People • Item: Could be a Dance, Music or Song or a Video clip • Acknowledge local Indigenous role models or a talk on the local community’s history

HOW TO CELEBRATE NAIDOC WEEK 1. Join in with your local community events (many communities have sports days, community marches, concerts and honouring events). 2. Volunteer at community events or ask your local community how you can help. 3. Put on a community event, e.g. NAIDOC Sunday Service, BBQ dinner or lunch, Community Morning Tea, etc. 4. Invite a local Indigenous guest Speaker to your church or community event. 5. Invite an Indigenous Sports Person/Role Model as a guest to your event.

NAIDOC WEEK FACT FILE

• NAIDOC week is usually celebrated annually in the full first week of July. • NAIDOC stands for ‘National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee’. • The week began in the 1957 when Aboriginal organisations, state and federal governments and a number of church groups came together to support its formation. • The roots of NAIDOC can be traced back to the 1920s and the 1938 Day of Mourning march and conference, which highlighted the plight and mistreatment of Indigenous Australians and called for the intervention of justice and equality. • It’s a week when Australia comes together and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and communities and recognises the valuable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to our country. • Churches across the country have a great opportunity to share with our communities during NAIDOC week and help to support community events, celebrate culture and build valuable relationships. • The NAIDOC 2020 theme is ‘Always Was, Always Will Be.’ which recognises Indigenous people have occupied and cared for this continent for thousands of years.