The well-known Australian folk song "I am Australian" resonates: "I came from the dream-time… For forty thousand years I've been the first Australian." These lyrics profoundly echo the sentiments of Australia's Indigenous Peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. NAIDOC Week is celebrated this year from July 2nd to 9th, with various events taking place nationwide to honour the history, culture, and achievements of Indigenous and Islander peoples.
NAIDOC stands for the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. The theme for NAIDOC 2023 is "For Our Elders", highlighting the significant roles held by Indigenous and Islander elders that have been passed down through generations. These elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families. They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers, and our beloved ones.
Chung Wah Community Care (Chung Wah CC), as a part of Australia's multicultural fabric, understands the importance of a society that values equality, mutual respect, and cultural harmony. We support the celebrations of NAIDOC Week. Gaining a deeper understanding of the history and culture of Indigenous and Islander peoples greatly benefits our senior clients by exposing them to new experiences and supporting their integration into Australian society.
Through daily community bulletins and storytelling sessions at our Evergreen College, we highlight the evolution of NAIDOC Week: from the "Day of Mourning", observed from 1938 to 1957 in response to Australia Day, to the first NAIDOC Day in July 1957, finally evolving into the week-long NAIDOC Week established in 1991.
'Aborigines' generally refers to the original inhabitants of the Australian mainland, Tasmania, and other islands. At the same time, 'Islanders' (Torres Strait Islanders) are inhabitants between Australia's Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea. With the onset of British colonisation in Australia in 1788, Indigenous Peoples suffered invasion, looting, and the introduction of epidemics, resulting in a dramatic decrease in their population and number of tribes and a reduction of languages from 240 to between 120 and 145.
Chung Wah has been servicing the WA community since 1909, dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Moreover, Chung Wah CC has over 35 years of professional care experience helping seniors and people with disability improve their well-being and better integrate into the community. In 2023, we're promoting our theme, "Embrace, Elevate & Flourish", and build a better community for all.
