How NAIDOC grew from a one-day protest to a week-long celebration

WARNING: This article contains language that some readers may find offensive. It also includes the name and image of people who have died.

Aunty Millie Ingram remembers a childhood under the watchful eye of the state government and the "rife racism" that existed in the wider community.

Born in 1940, when NSW was transitioning from the protection era to one focused on assimilation, Ms Ingram, 86, was living on Erambie mission near Cowra, in the central west region of New South Wales.

Fighting against the "oppression" was a groundswell movement led by Aboriginal people that had been steadily building for years, one that Ms Ingram's mother was a part of.

"My mother was a real fighter as well, with terrible circumstances and none of the comforts of a nice home or anything like that," the proud Wiradjuri woman said.

Two years before Ms Ingram was born, her mother, Louisa Agnes Ingram OAM, was photographed holding her child at one of Australia's largest civil rights movements, called the Day of Mourning protest.

It came as Australia celebrated the beginning of colonisation, with the 150th anniversary of the First Fleet landing.

A famous black and white photo taken in 1938 captured an important moment in time.

A one-day protest that fought for recognition and rights has evolved into a week-long celebration now known as NAIDOC Week.

Today, NAIDOC Week is marked in different ways — from the glitz and glamour of the national awards ceremony to art exhibitions and local festivals.

Events are hosted in small regional towns and capital cities.

Traditionally, NAIDOC Week was celebrated by First Nations people, but it has become an invitation for non-Indigenous Australians to get involved, with some of Australia's biggest companies marking the event.

The history of NAIDOC Week

Sitting just a 10-minute drive from where the protest photo was taken, Aunty Millie Ingram reflected on the early days of the movement.

"Back in those days, we were all concerned about survival," she said.

"We were just so oppressed at that time, but there was a lot of fighting [for rights] going on before all of this started," she said.

It later shifted to the first Sunday in July to also incorporate the celebration of Indigenous culture and achievements.

Events included debutante balls, community events organised and attended by government bureaucrats and marches led by activists echoing calls from the original protest.

Ms Ingram said gatherings like Aborigines Day or "A Day" as some call it provided a platform for rights, recognition and pride in the face of discrimination that Aboriginal people were facing.

"Back on the mission at Erambie, there was a lot of good musicians, and they would have regular dances and concerts, as long as the mission manager approved it of course. This was just a continuation of what we were always doing," she said.

"NAIDOC and all of these gatherings are very, very important to us as a people."

It was not until the mid-1970s that the organising committee, then known as NADOC (National Aboriginal Day Observance Committee), had all Indigenous people at the helm.

That was when it was decided that the day would become a week-long event.

Inala Cooper, who is a member of the National NAIDOC Committee, said the event expanded to represent the growth of the movement.

"The momentum of activism as well as celebration has meant that one day just wasn't big enough, we needed a whole week," the proud Yawuru woman said.

In 1991, the "I" was added to NAIDOC, to represent Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Continued legacy of recognition

Ms Cooper said while NAIDOC Week still played an important role in advocacy, as it did in the late 1930s, how people respond to those calls had evolved.

"I think whilst there are still threads of similar struggles, similar challenges that we're fighting against, there have been changes," she said.

The theme for NAIDOC Week this year is 50 Years of Deadly, which marks the inaugural NAIDOC Week celebration.

Comedian Kevin Kropinyeri said it meant honouring those who continued to make an impact for their community.

"'Deadly' to me means [recognising] those champions on the front lines in their communities doing great jobs in the community, around health and education," the proud Ngarrindjeri man said.

"I love my people and that's what deadly means to me."

Recognition is still a centrepiece of NAIDOC Week, with a national awards ceremony held every year to recognise significant contributions that First Nations people have made to the community.

There are 10 categories honouring the work of people across industries.

The Lifetime Achievement Award and NAIDOC Person of the Year are the most coveted accolades.

Aunty Millie Ingram was the recipient of the 2024 National NAIDOC Female Elder Award, recognised for her advocacy and work establishing the first Aboriginal-run preschool in the country.

"Not many of us get to this age and to be an elder," she said during her speech.

"Our legacy should be to give hope and opportunities to our younger people, and I am so proud of our younger generations of Aboriginal people that we have coming up today."

While this year's national awards ceremony has been delayed until August, the celebrations will continue at state and local level.

Mr Kropinyeri, who will be the emcee for the South Australian gala ball, said he was looking forward to bringing "big laughs" and seeing people shine in their best outfits.

"I love seeing the mob all dressed up, looking deadly, and I love seeing so many skinny ankles," he said with a laugh.

Ms Cooper said she, like others, called the week "Black Christmas".

"It's our time to shine, it's our time to celebrate each other," she said.

Mr Kropinyeri said the week could also be an opportunity to challenge ideas.

"What I've seen a lot more of is a lot of our non-Indigenous brothers and sisters that have come along and celebrated NAIDOC with us and that's amazing, that's what we're about," he said.

"I use comedy as a vehicle to get out there and change perceptions of our people and change stereotypes."

It is a sentiment that Ms Cooper agrees with.

"[NAIDOC is] part of the truth-telling of our country; it is part of reconciling with our past and our future," she said.

National NAIDOC award finalists announced

For her lasting impact on the arts and cultural scene, the late Rhoda Roberts AO has been named the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

The finalists of the National NAIDOC Awards were announced today.

Finalists for The Person of the Year Award are Aunty Pat Turner AO, Dr Lana Leslie-Henfling OAM and Timmy Duggan OAM.

Nominated for Female Elder of the Year are Aunty Lorraine Peeters, Christine Corby AM and Regina Pilawuk Wilson, while Dr Dean Yibarbuk, Oscar Colbung and Dr Stephen Hagan are up for the Male Elder Award.

Professional basketballer Alex Wilson, rugby player Caitlyn Costello, and Australian field hockey player Mariah Williams are vying for the Sportsperson Award.

Creative talent category nominees are Brolga Dance Academy founder and artistic director Jodie Welsh, Anangu contemporary artist Kaylene Whiskey, and illustrator and journalist Molly Hunt.

Finalists for other categories:

Youth Award: Brenton Woods, Levi Briggs and Tyson Neal Edwards

Caring for Country and Culture Award: Girringun Aboriginal Corporation, Miromaa Aboriginal Language & Technology Centre and Southern Aboriginal Corporation

Education Award: Aunty Stephanie Armstrong, Ninti Training Ltd and The Aboriginal & Islander Independent Community School (The Murri School)

Innovation Award: 17x16CDP Youth Collective, Bars Behind Me and Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy

NAIDOC Week runs from July 5 until July 12. You can watch special NAIDOC Week programming on ABC TV and ABC iview.