NAIDOC Week 2022

The history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will be celebrated during NAIDOC Week, 3-10 July 2022.

NAIDOC Week is the most comprehensive showcase of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, and histories.

“Every year, we celebrate and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ excellence and their contribution to our country that dates back tens of thousands of years,” ANMF Tasmanian Branch Secretary Emily Shepherd said.

“More people are getting involved in a wide range of processes to improve justice and representation, and there is a collective will to walk the reconciliation journey together,” she said.

It is clear by the Closing the Gap Report tabled by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in February 2018 that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples still experience poorer health outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians. It is understood these inequities are a result of the colonisation process and the many discriminatory policies to which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were subjected to, and the ongoing experience of discrimination today. 

The principle of cultural safety in the new Code of Conduct for nurses and Code of Conduct for midwives (the codes) provides simple, common-sense guidance on how to work in a partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

The guidance around cultural safety in the codes sets out clearly the behaviours that are expected of nurses and midwives, and the standard of conduct that patients and their families can expect. It is vital guidance for improving health outcomes and experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

One of the professional requirements is to understand the history of colonisation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and its ongoing impact on health.

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2022 is ‘Get up! Stand up! Show up!’, which encourages the community to fight for systemic change and to keep rallying around mob, Elders, and communities.

It’s also a time to celebrate the many who have driven and led change in our communities over generations – they have been the heroes and champions of change, of equal rights and even basic human rights.

This story originally appeared in the JUL-SEP edition of INFUSION. Click here to read online.