National NAIDOC Week Award nominations are now open.
Here’s how you nominate someone.
Nominations close on Friday, 3 March at 8pm.
Samara Fernandez-Brown is a proud Warlpiri woman from Yuendumu, located three hours north-west of Alice Springs.
Following the shooting and death of her cousin, Kumanjayi Walker in 2019, Samara became a vocal activist, coordinating the “Justice For Walker” campaign, liaising between Warlpiri Elders and the police, judicial system and the media, organising rallies and fundraising.
In 2021 Samara was named National NAIDOC Week Youth of the Year, for her social justice activism and advocacy for people in her community.
Thelma Weston is a descendant of the Meriam people of the Torres Strait.
In 2019 Aunty Thelma was named National NAIDOC Week Female Elder of the Year, for her long history of outstanding involvement and achievements in the community.
At age 83, Aunty Thelma still works full time at Winnunga Aboriginal Health and Community Services in Canberra, using her skills to manage the needle exchange program.
As a breast cancer survivor, Aunty Thelma has worked with Breast Cancer Network Australia to encourage other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to connect, seek support and information about the disease.
In 2010, a group of 30 elders and former residents of the Littlewell Reserve, about 400 kilometres north of Perth, came together to form the Littlewell Working Group.
The group’s aim was to restore 10 acres of Country and preserve the stories and cultural knowledge of the area.
Since then the members of the Littlewell Working Group have worked tirelessly, using their own resources, time and money to restore and maintain the Reserve, and in 2019 the group was awarded the National NAIDOC Week Caring for Country Award.
Greg Little is a highly respected Elder of Noongar Boodjar, in south-west Western Australia.
For the past two decades Uncle Greg has worked as a Prison Support Officer at the Bunbury Regional Prison, and now plays a major role in the management, leadership and mentoring of the prisoner peer support group.
His work has helped inmates make positive connections with their families and each other, and in 2019 Uncle Greg was named National NAIDOC Week Male Elder of the Year.
These are just some of the many people and organisations to have been recognised for their remarkable achievements and contributions to their community with a National NAIDOC Week Award.
Do you know someone in our community who you think should be recognised for the important work they do?
Perhaps there’s a local organisation doing great things to support and protect our land, culture and people?
Nominate them for a National NAIDOC Week Award today!
Here’s how you nominate someone.
Nominations close on Friday, 3 March at 8pm.
