The NAIDOC committee asks that all Australians “amplify (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’) voices and narrow the gap between aspiration and reality, good intent and outcome.” Nurse & Midwife Support lends our voice to amplify the NAIDOC goals. 

The theme this year is: Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!

The NAIDOC committee explain why they chose this theme:

From the frontier wars and our earliest resistance fighters to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities fighting for change today—we continue to show up.

Now is our time. We cannot afford to lose momentum for change.

We all must continue to Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! for systemic change and keep rallying around our mob, our Elders, our communities.

Whether it’s seeking proper environmental, cultural and heritage protections, Constitutional change, a comprehensive process of truth-telling, working towards treaties, or calling out racism—we must do it together.

The annual National NAIDOC Week Awards ceremony were held on 2 July to recognise the outstanding contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have made to advocate for and improve the lives of people in their communities. Congratulations to this year’s winners, including Person of the Year Ash Barty! 

Learn more about the remarkable work of previous winners

The Nurse & Midwife Support team has been fortunate to support and be supported by the incredible people at CATSINaM, the peak advocacy body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives in Australia. We continue to be energised by all that CATSINaM have achieved in their mission to improve Cultural Safety, health and wellbeing for all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples and communities. We thank the team for their leadership and the work they’ve done to ensure the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurses and midwives are not only heard, but valued. To learn more about what CATSINaM is up to, check out their news, publications, or the book In our own right: Black Australian Nurses’ Stories. A long-awaited sequel is coming soon!

You can also follow them on social media:

• Facebook
• Twitter — check out #CATSINAM25Years to learn about their 25 Acts of Collective Activism!
• Instagram
• YouTube

CATSINaM have recently launched Murra Mullangari: Introduction to Cultural Safety and Cultural Humility. This is an online self-paced program for all nurses and midwives.

The program provides nurses and midwives with insights into the culture of power and its implications on the nursing and midwifery workforce and clarity towards consciously transforming the health inequities as they relate to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

CATSINaM say:

Cultural Safety is of critical importance for supporting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People are dealing with racism and they are significantly under-represented in the workforce in Australia.

Cultural Safety training is vital to address racism and support Indigenous Australians. One way to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People is to ensure we have a shared understanding of Cultural Safety and what it means, this includes the knowledge and skills to address racism and to recognise racism in the workplace.

During NAIDOC week our team take the opportunity to learn more about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest continuous living cultures on earth. We encourage you to do the same.

• Check out some NAIDOC events in your area.
• Find an experience to help you learn more about the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander history and culture of your area with Welcome to Country.
• Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses with Supply Nation.
• Listen to our NAIDOC Week 2019 podcast with two inspirational midwives, Catherine Chamberlain who descends from the Trawlwoolway People of Tasmania and Tanisha Edwards who is a Kamilaroi woman.
• Learn more about how Aboriginal Traditional Medicine practices can work with Western health frameworks to optimise outcomes for Aboriginal patients with Dr Francesca Panzironi and the Aṉangu Ngangkaṟi Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation (ANTAC), the first organisation of Aboriginal traditional healers in Australia.
• Read books by First Nations authors.
• Challenge your thinking with IndigenousX.
• Learn about the work of The Healing Foundation, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led organisation that partners with communities to heal intergenerational trauma.

If you need to talk, we’re here! Free, confidential, 24/7. Call 1800 667 877 or email us.