6 JULY 2024
The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) will celebrate culture alongside clients and community with a series of events planned across the state for NAIDOC Week.
Providing an opportunity for children, young people, carers, Elders and community members to gather and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture, VACCA’s NAIDOC events attract hundreds of attendees.
This year’s National NAIDOC theme, Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud, celebrates the strength, resilience, and spirit of Aboriginal people and culture.
“For VACCA it is critical to give back to Community and show our children and families that their culture is to be celebrated and we all keep the fire burning and stand up – Blak, Loud and Proud,” says VACCA CEO Muriel Bamblett.
NAIDOC week is always an exciting time as it provides us with the opportunity to see and celebrate Victoria’s Aboriginal culture proudly on display through the many activities on offer throughout the week.
“The theme Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” says Ms Bamblett.
Truth telling and knowing history is so important. The idea behind NAIDOC goes back to a letter written by William Cooper that was aimed at Aboriginal communities and at churches in 1937. They were preparing for what would become the famous Day of Mourning in 1938; it not only sparked a very effective one-off protest, but it also stimulated a national observance that was at first championed by churches, and is now a national celebration throughout the week of NAIDOC.
“This year we encourage you to join us at VACCA to Keep the Fire Burning. As the peak voice for Aboriginal children in Victoria, culture is at the heart of all VACCA does. We are committed to protecting the rights and best interests of Aboriginal children, and elevating their right to voice,” says Ms Bamblett.
There's also plenty of opportunities for allies to show their support during NAIDOC Week. Stand together with us and march in the streets, join your local flag raising ceremony, or attend a NAIDOC event and celebrate 65,000 years of culture. We all have a part to play in promoting respectful relationships between Aboriginal people and non-Indigenous Australians.
Find a local VACCA event, or find a local NAIDOC event.
- ENDS -
FOR RELEASE –
Beth Cesarin - Senior Manager, Communications and Public Affairs
PH: 0439 117 408 E: bethc@vacca.org
Sarah Gafforini – Director, Office of the CEO VACCA
T: 0427 621 421/ E: sarahg@vacca.org
ABOUT VACCA - www.vacca.org
The Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA) is Victoria’s Peak Voice for Aboriginal children. We are the leading provider of Aboriginal child and family services, and the largest provider of services for Aboriginal family violence and homelessness. We have been supporting children, young people, and families in the community for over 47 years as an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO).
Through our vision of self-determination – Live, Experience, and Be – we exist to support culturally strong, safe, and thriving Aboriginal communities. We deliver over 80 programs across Victoria including child and family services, family violence, support for stolen generations, child protection, cultural strengthening programs, mental health, financial services, justice and redress support, early years, and homelessness services.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands on which we work. We pay our respects to their elders, past and present, and to their children and young people who are the future elders and caretakers of this great land.