This year, NAIDOC Week falls on July 2-9 with the theme “For our Elders”. This theme is about recognising and celebrating the significant role that First Nations Elders play in maintaining and sharing cultural knowledge, as well as being strong leaders, role models and advocates within First Nations communities across Australia.
How do we celebrate NAIDOC Week?
NAIDOC week is an amazing opportunity for all Australians to learn about, embrace and engage with their First Nations communities on a local, state & national level. There are many ways to celebrate NAIDOC week including attending local NAIDOC events, learning about the local country where you live, and reading NAIDOC week educational resources.
Cancer Council NSW’s new Aboriginal Web Portal
At Cancer Council, we have been working on enhancing and developing the ways we work with First Nations communities. In late May 2023, Cancer Council NSW launched our Aboriginal web portal. This portal was created through extensive community consultation in 2022-2023, by both Aboriginal owned and operated digital services agency Ngakkan Nyaagu (NGNY) and Cancer Council NSW.
The web portal provides important cancer information directly for Aboriginal communities, encompassing a variety of different areas including cancer support & treatment information, cancer stories by Aboriginal people and resources for Aboriginal health workers.
What we are doing to address smoking this NAIDOC Week
Throughout NAIDOC week Cancer Council NSW staff will be attending and participating in local NAIDOC events throughout NSW to provide vital cancer information & support directly to First Nations communities. One of the programs we will be promoting is Tackling Tobacco in Aboriginal Communities, as we are currently recruiting Aboriginal Health Services for 2023-24!
You can visit Cancer Council’s smoking webpage to view information about the work we do with smoking and vaping in NSW. We encourage you to stay up to date with the Aboriginal Quitline NSW Facebook page to view up to date information about support that can be provided to Aboriginal people to quit smoking.