Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

NAIDOC Week 2024

National NAIDOC Week is held across Australia in the first week of July each year. The week celebrates and recognises the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

This year’s theme – Keep the Fire Burning: Blak, Loud and Proud! celebrates the unyielding spirit of First Nations communities and invites all to stand in solidarity, amplifying the voices that have long been silenced.

This NAIDOC Week, Hockey Australia are encouraging all Hockey Clubs, Associations and Members to learn the Traditional place names and the Traditional Owners of the areas you live and play hockey, by downloading and sharing an edit version of the Social Media Tile below. Download the file by clicking on it, right clicking, then clicking "Save As". Once downloaded, follow instructions 1 to 3 to join us in acknowledging the traditional owners of the lands on which we enjoy hockey.

1. Determine the Traditional Owners of the lands you are on. You can do this by…
Looking up your local council websites or a local Indigenous organisation
Checking the AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia
2. Using Canva, Microsoft Paint, or another similar app, to add your club logo and the Traditional Owner name and nation into the template social media tile
3. Posting your tile on social media during NAIDOC Week 7 July – 14 July and tag Hockey Australia.

We’ll compile a number of posts from around the country and share a spotlight towards the end of NAIDOC week

Hockey Australia’s Reflect Reconcilation Action Plan

This RAP will help guide our relationships with First Nations people, promote their culture, develop and implement appropriate opportunities and define governance to ensure we achieve our reconciliation commitment and use our influence to advocate for social change.

Hockey Australia Reflect RAP

Community Connection by artist: Jodie Herden - Gomeroi woman

This artwork represents the deep-rooted connection Hockey Australia has with its players, teams, staff, families and communities across Australia. The central Gathering circle represents Hockey Australia, branching out to community and grass roots levels that connect and intertwine for the love of the game, building strong foundations for all who play and are passionate about the sport. Hockey Australia is built on the values of Leadership, Integrity, Excellence, Inclusion and Community, this is shown through the use of our star stories and Songlines in this artwork. We live under the Warrambul (The Milky Way), we are guided and play under the Southern Cross, connecting us from one side of the country to the other, as does the sport of Hockey.

The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras proudly wear a First Nations uniform as an alternative playing strip.

The artwork was created by: Kevin Bynder, Whadjuk – Yuet – Balaadong Nyungar & Widi Badimia – Amangu Yamatji and Nova Peris, Gaagudju Peoples of Bunitj clan of West Arnhemland & Yawuru and Gidja Peoples of West and East Kimberleys

The artwork depicts the female Australian hockey team, the Hockeyroos with the top circle on the left. The circle on the right represents male Australian hockey team the Kookaburras. The symbols around the circles represent the females and males with the straight lines between being hockey sticks.

The smaller circles below symbolise the clubs and junior players, with the pathway artwork, depicted by song lines, show the journey from grassroots to the Australian teams. The pathway connection at the bottom shows the final journey into Hockey Australia, with Nova Peris contributing the artwork of the kookaburra in the centre for the Kookaburras shirt and the kanagroo with a joey in the centre of the Hockeyroos shirt.

The hills at the bottom are the Darling Ranges, located east of Perth, Western Australia. The Darling Range in Whadjuk Boodja is known to be the Waagyl (Rainbow Serpent) which is said to be the creator of Perth and lays dormant watching silently over the Whadjuk people.

Aspire Cairns Community

Aspire is a registered charity designed to support disadvantaged youth to participate, in particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls. Through the signing of an MOU with Aspire Carins Community, Hockey Australia will investigate opportunities for mutual collaboration.

News

New Indigenous design for Australian Indoor, Masters and Country

Hockey Australia releases 'Reflect' Reconciliation Action Plan

AOC Indigenous Coaching Scholarship