NAIDOC Week is an opportunity to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, talents and resilience and recognise the invaluable contributions they continue to make across the continent.
“The NAIDOC journey began as a movement for recognition and rights, sparked by Indigenous communities who saw a future built on justice and equality.
National NAIDOC Theme
Over the decades, it has grown into a powerful national celebration, a testament to the enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
What does NAIDOC stand for?
Celebrated each year during the first full week of July, NAIDOC stands for ‘National Aboriginal and Islanders Day of Observance Committee’. This year it runs from 5 – 12 July 2026.
A brief history
NAIDOC Week became a week-long event in 1975, but its roots can be traced back to the 1920s Indigenous protest movement and the civil rights gathering known as the Day of Mourning, held in 1938.
- 1924–1932: Several organisations including the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (AAPA) and Australian Aborigines League (AAL) were founded to give structure to a burgeoning protest movement against the poor treatment of First Nations people.
The efforts of these organisations were largely overlooked and the AAPA abandoned their work in 1927 due to police harassment. - 1938–1955: On January 26, 1938, protestors marched in Sydney. Known as the Day of Mourning, this is one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world.
The Day of Mourning (Aborigines Day), was held annually on the Sunday before January 26 until 1955, when it was moved to the first Sunday in July. - 1956: The National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) was formed and the second Sunday in July became a day of remembrance for Indigenous people.
- 1972: As a result of the 1967 referendum, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs was formed.
- 1974: For the first time, the NADOC committee was composed entirely of Aboriginal members.
- 1975: NADOC becomes a week-long event, running from the first to the second Sunday in July.
- 1991: NADOC expands to recognise Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture, forming NAIDOC. This new name becomes the title for the whole week, not just the day. Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important issues and events for NAIDOC Week.
What is this year’s theme?
Each year, NAIDOC Week themes have called for truth, celebrated culture, and honoured resistance. This year’s theme ‘Fifty Years of Deadly’ marks an important milestone, and stands tribute to the Indigenous leaders, the vision of communities, and the legacy of ancestors who built this movement and continue to show up, year after year.
“Fifty Years of Deadly is a marker, not just of time passed, but of the momentum still building. It’s proof of what our people build when culture leads and community comes first. NAIDOC belongs to mob. It always has.”
National NAIDOC Theme
How you can get involved in NAIDOC Week
From showcases of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander skills and traditions to NAIDOC-themed art experiences, hundreds of events are being held across the country to celebrate First Nations people.
To find events in your local area, visit the NAIDOC Week website.
Take Action Now
Our movement is calling on the Australian Government to put an end to practices subjecting children as young as 10 to cruel and harsh treatment in the justice system.
Add your voice to our call: Sign the petition now.
Reconciliation Toolkit
Check out our Reconciliation Toolkit, filled with a rich array of resources to celebrate the talent, truth, traditions and enterprises of First Nations people across the continent.
Discover must-see films, music and podcasts, books and more!
First Nations Ally Guide
Learn more about what being a First Nations Ally means or download our First Nations Ally Guide.
Our Campaign
Every day, children as young as 10 are locked in cells, restrained, isolated and held in conditions that breach international human rights law. Many have not been convicted of any crime and most are on remand, detained because the system has failed to provide safe, community-based alternatives.
Indigenous children bear the brunt of this crisis. They are around 29 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-Indigenous children and make up the majority of children in detention nationwide, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
This is not the result of higher offending, but of systemic over-policing, denial of early support and a punitive system that punishes vulnerability.
In Australia, children are being routinely subjected to seriously harmful practices including solitary confinement, spit hoods and detention in adult watch houses. These practices cause severe physical and psychological damage and, in some cases, meet the threshold of torture under international law.
This harm comes at an extreme cost.
Australia spends more than $1 billion each year locking up children, with detention costing well over $1 million per child per year in some jurisdictions. These funds are poured into cages and control instead of housing, healthcare, disability support and community-led programs that are proven to prevent harm and keep children safe.
Locking up children does not make communities safer. It entrenches trauma, increases reoffending and violates Australia’s obligations to protect children’s rights, dignity and wellbeing. This is not an inevitable crisis. It is the result long-standing government failures – but there is a better way forward.
Together with your support, we’re advocating for a youth justice system that protects children rather than harms them.
Our vision is to raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria and to end the use of torturous practices against children nationally by 2030. This includes banning spit hoods, solitary confinement and the detention of children in adult watch houses.
Children are not ‘problems’ to be managed. Every young person has potential, dignity and the capacity to grow when met with care, safety and support. The system should help children take responsibility and learn from their actions, not deepen trauma.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
Act now or learn more about our work on Indigenous Justice.
