National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme is “Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!”.

Ally and Brendan were joined by Pastor Willie Dumas for a conversation on NAIDOC Week, the importance of uniting together to create change, how we can learn from one another and the significance of this year’s theme.

Pastor Willie has been ministering the Gospel for more than 27 years. He is married to the first female Indigenous pastor to be ordained in NSW through Australian Christian Churches, Pastor Sandra Dumas, and together they pastor Ganggalah Church in Tweed Heads. Pastor Willie is also Chairman of the Australian Christian Churches National Indigenous Initiative.

Pastor Willie is a Biripi man, who grew up on Biripi country in the Taree and Port Macquarie regions of New South Wales.

5 quick tips on how to be involved with NAIDOC activities in your local area

1. Call someone in your community to have a chat about this year’s theme ‘Get Up Stand Up Show Up!’ and what it means to you.
2. Watch special NAIDOC Week programming on SBS/NITV and ABC.
3. Learn more about the Country on which you live and work using the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia.
4. Learn more about how to deliver an Acknowledgement of Country.
5. Research Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history or start some family history research.

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Learn more at NAIDOC.org.au.

Listen to the full interview with Pastor Willie Dumas in the player above.