Grants open for NAIDOC Week events

THE federal government is supporting events to be held as part of this year’s National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week celebrations in July.
Corangamite federal member Sarah Henderson said the 2016 NAIDOC grant funding round was part of a more than $2 million commitment from the federal government to support NAIDOC celebrations this year.
“NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to get together and celebrate the unique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and the national theme this year is Songlines – The living narrative of our nation.
“The theme highlights the importance of Dreamtime to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It commemorates the tracks they leave on the land as a record of ancestral spirits who ‘sung’ the land into life”. Ms Henderson encouraged local organisations to consider applying for funding to help cover the costs of staging events during NAIDOC Week.
“Events can include anything from a community morning tea or barbecue to a flag raising ceremony or art workshop. “The Turnbull Government is supporting such activities through funding to come out of the Indigenous Advancement Strategy. Applications to the 2016 NAIDOC grant funding close on April 29. For more details, head to dpmc.gov.au/ indigenous-affairs/grants-and-funding/ funding-under-ias.