Celebrating 50 Deadly Years of NAIDOC

NAIDOC WEEK For decades, NAIDOC Week has been a massive celebration. It actually started as a protest way back in 1938. Australia was marking 150 years since the arrival of the First Fleet. But for many this was nothing to celebrate. So, in response, a large group of First Nations people gathered at the Australian Hall, to carry out a big protest, known as the Day of Mourning. The Day of Mourning protest became an annual event, but in 1955, the date changed, and so did its focus. Rather than being a day of sadness, it became a celebration of survival for the world's oldest living cultures. In 1975, NADOC, now NAIDOC, the National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee, decided the celebration should last longer than a day and for the past 50 years we've celebrated NAIDOC week. Every year, there's a new NAIDOC theme and poster, and each one has something important to say. They celebrate important moments of resistance or people who've made an impact. In 1998, the artist Ray Thomas made a poster, to mark the bringing them home report, which was a big investigation into the stolen generations. And 10 years later, we got this one, when our Government said sorry. We've also had posters honouring First Nations people in the military, and First Nations women. And this year we have this, from Zaachariaha Fielding, which is all about movement and carrying stories forward. It was made to celebrate this year's theme which is 50 years of deadly. This year's theme is all about celebrating the NAIDOC weeks that have come before, and the achievements, resilience and pride of First Nations People. ARCHIE ROACH & RUBY HUNTER Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter are two of Australia's most influential singer-songwriters and storytellers. They were born a year a part, Archie in Mooroopna, Victoria and Ruby on the banks of Murray River, South Australia. But like many other First Nations children, they were taken away from their families and spent years in institutions and foster care. They first met as homeless teenagers in Adelaide, 1973 at the Salvation Army drop-in centre. They both loved music and began writing songs about survival, trauma, and healing. They later moved to Melbourne where they started a family and worked on their music careers. Ruby encouraged Archie to make his first album, 'Charcoal Lane' and it was a hit. In 1994 Ruby realised her first album Thoughts Within becoming the first First Nations woman signed to a major label. Together, they toured the world, sharing stages with artists like Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan, and Paul Kelly. They used their success to help young Indigenous artists find their voices. Ruby Hunter died in 2010 and while Archie was devastated he kept working to make sure First Nations stories were told. He died in 2022, but both Archie and Ruby and the stories they told will always be remembered. __________________________________________ Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/behindthenews... TikTok:   / behindthenewstv   Facebook:   / abcbtn   Instagram:   / behindthenews   For the past 55 years, Behind the News has been helping to break down current issues and events for young people all around the world. The program is a high-energy, fun way for people to learn about the stories we see in the news while providing background information that isn’t usually given by other news bulletins. #ABCbtn