By Reverend Dr Katherine Rainger, Senior Chaplain

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories, and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

This year’s NAIDOC week theme was The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy. In Canberra, throughout Australia and overseas there were many community events and ways to engage with this theme that emphasises empowerment and connection.

While in Timor-Leste, some of our students had the opportunity to engage with a NAIDOC exhibition entitled Yuendumu Doors. The exhibition was facilitated by the Australian Embassy in Timor-Leste and hosted by the Galeria Memoria Viva in Dili, a museum dedicated to the life and work of President José Ramos-Horta.

We hope all First Nations people who are part of the Radford community had a great NAIDOC Week.

NAIDOC Week may be over, but there are still meaningful ways to continue to engage:

• Wiradjuri woman Jodie Munday, who is the Aboriginal Artist in Residence at Radford College, held an art exhibition alongside Aboriginal artist Gail Neuss titled Wrong Side of the Tracks in Gunning, NSW. Jodie and Gail’s incredible artworks and an interview can be viewed here.
• Wakka Wakka woman Brooke Prentis is an Aboriginal Christian leader and cultural consultant and educator. Brooke works with staff and students at Radford College embedding Aboriginal perspectives in the classroom and sharing culture. During NAIDOC Week Brooke interviewed Yaegl Elder and Anglican priest Reverend Canon Aunty Lenore Parker and her daughter, award winning artist Frances Belle Parker on Radio National’s Soul Search. It is a fascinating podcast exploring faith, spirituality, art and family.
• Read about the NAIDOC Week 2025 award winners. Each winner is leading the way in a range of fields.
• Visit the incredible cultural institutions we have in the ACT, including the National Museum of Australia, and engage with permanent and special exhibitions.
• Sign up to Dirrum Dirrum Festival to hear from journalist and author Stan Grant, singer Royston Noell and founder of Wurramay Collective, Tash Kaiser.
• Read the artist statement for this year’s NAIDOC Week poster titled Ancestral Lines by Jeremy Morgan Worrall.
• Students will have the opportunity to engage with NAIDOC Week in chapel services.

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