NAIDOC Award Wubbers Celebrated Today

The recipients of the 2020 NAIDOC Awards were announced today at a ceremony at Adelaide Town Hall to celebrate this year’s NAIDOC Week.

Guests shared morning tea with the Lord Mayor of Adelaide Sandy Verschoor and observed the official raising of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags ceremony from the balcony of Town Hall.

Civic ceremonies such as these reflect Council’s continued recognition and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in the City of Adelaide.

The NAIDOC SA awards were presented by NAIDOC SA chairperson, Joyleen Thomas.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said that NAIDOC awards are an important way of honouring the significant contributions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

“We warmly congratulate all award recipients on their achievements and for inspiring others within the community through their actions,” said the Lord Mayor.

“The resilience and richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are of great importance to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike. It is important that the Lore, knowledge and stories continue to be told.

“The City of Adelaide supports NAIDOC Week and we are proud of our continued commitment to the reconciliation process with traditional owners, the Kaurna community and broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”

Also presented for the second year was the Lord Mayor’s NAIDOC award of a traditional woodcarving, created by Patrick Ikaringanyi Ferguson which. This award acknowledges an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community member for their outstanding achievement, service, and contribution to reconciliation in the City of Adelaide. This year’s recipient was awarded to Kaurna leader, Jack Buckskin.

NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Aboriginal Australians make to our country and society.

NAIDOC origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920s who sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal Australians.

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is Always Was, Always Will Be, recognising that First Nation peoples have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.

NAIDOC Week activities continue until the 15 November. These include exhibitions, live music, beading and dance workshops, plus a streamed tour of prominent Aboriginal leaders from the National Portrait Gallery.

Due to predicted inclement weather, NAIDOC in the Mall on the 10 November has been cancelled this year.

Council’s second Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan consolidates Council’s long-standing commitment to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The Plan is registered with Reconciliation Australia and has been created in collaboration with the City of Adelaide Reconciliation Committee and broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

This year’s NAIDOC award recipients are below.

Young Person of the Year

Samara Fernandez-Brown

LGBTIQ

Zaachariah Fielding

Sports Woman of the Year

Helena Norton

Person of the Year

Eddie Peters

Scholar of the Year

Gail Brennan

Male Elder of the Year

Eddie Newchurch

Apprenticeship/Trainee

Anthony St Clair

Female Elder of the Year

Martha Watts

Artist of the Year

Alan Sumner

Sports Man of the Year

Frank Szekely

Lifetime Achievement

Professor Peter Buckskin

Business Person of the Year

Anthony Wilson – Nood Australia

Caring for Country

Aboriginal Corporation.

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