Voices of the Next Generation: NAIDOC Week 2025
NAIDOC Week is here – and you’re invited to be part of it.
From Sunday 6 to Sunday 13 July, communities across Australia will celebrate NAIDOC Week, a national event that honours the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Held in the first week of July each year, NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to come together to listen, learn and celebrate the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Whether it’s through stories, art, music or ceremony, this week encourages deeper connection to Country and community – and reminds us of the strength, resilience and wisdom that continue to shape our shared future.
What does this year’s theme mean?
We invite our community to come together to celebrate, reflect and connect under this year’s theme: The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.
This powerful theme honours 50 years of elevating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, culture and resilience, while also recognising the potential of the future generations shaping our communities today. It invites us to listen closely to the stories being told, the wisdom being shared, and the legacy being built by emerging Indigenous leaders.
At Deakin, this celebration takes on extra significance as we also mark our own 50-year anniversary. It’s a moment to reflect on where we’ve come from, the partnerships and people who’ve led the way, and the kind of future we’re working towards – one grounded in inclusion, service and impact. This commitment is echoed in the words of our Deputy Vice Chancellor of Indigenous Strategy and Innovation, Mark Rose, who reflects on the importance of Indigenous knowledges in shaping the road ahead.
Indigenous knowledges and ideas inform our future. Deakin is committed to Reconciliation and Treaty, advancing the educational aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and ensuring Indigenous Knowledges are widely recognised and woven into the fabric of Australian life. All our endeavours will reflect on Australia’s full history and seek to build an inclusive future.
– Mark Rose, Gunditjmara man, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Indigenous Strategy and Innovation
Voices of the Deakin Community
To bring this year’s theme to life, we invited First Nations women from our student and staff community to take part in a special project – conversations reflecting on their personal journeys, cultural identities, and connection to Country. Filmed at the NIKERI Institute on Waurn Ponds campus ahead of NAIDOC Week, these interviews explored themes such as the importance of family and community (mob), spiritual connection to Country, and the strength found in embracing one’s heritage.
These reflections offer a powerful glimpse into the lived experiences that shape the diverse Indigenous voices within the Deakin community – voices that speak to connection, pride, resilience, and the enduring strength of culture guiding First Nations peoples today and into the future. The quotes below offer further insight into the depth and richness of what was shared.
Culture to me is about mob and community. It’s also about our history – our strength and resilience – and the fact that we’re still here today, still telling our story. We’re the world’s oldest living culture. For us to still be here and able to share that… it’s something to be really proud of.
– Brooke Williams, Ngarrindjeri woman, Bachelor of Social Work
When I go home to Gundungurra Country, I feel body knowledge as I step on the ground. There’s a sense of belonging and a welcome from Country and the ancestors.
– Gabrielle Fletcher, Gundungurra woman, Pro-Vice Chancellor Indigenous Development
Don’t be ashamed of who you are or where you come from. Don’t be ashamed to connect with your culture and your mob, and to talk about it proudly. I struggled with this in school, facing remarks even from teachers that made it hard to feel proud. Now that I’m older, I wish I had embraced it sooner. My message to future generations is just to be proud of who you are, embrace your identity, and don’t hide from anyone.
– Emma Shepherd, Gunditjmara woman, Associate Degree of Arts
Keep going, keep finding who you are, keep connecting to your culture and mob, and keep learning – because knowledge is power.
– Joleen Ryan, Gunditjmara woman, Lecturer in Social Work
Celebrate with us
Throughout the week, students and staff are invited to take part in a range of activities — from Welcome to Country ceremonies and interactive pop-up experiences to online galleries showcasing Indigenous art and culture.
Explore 50 years of iconic NAIDOC posters, join meaningful yarns about education and culture, and participate in community-led activities both on campus and online. Looking ahead, don’t miss the Deakin University Indigenous Oration, delivered by Professor Tom Calma AO, in the weeks following NAIDOC Week.
Whether you’re living on campus, joining us as an international student, or engaging from afar – there’s a place for you to get involved.
👉 Visit the NAIDOC Week campaign page to discover what’s on and how you can take part.
Follow us @DeakinLife to find out what’s happening online and on campus this week!
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