This year’s NAIDOC Week theme, 50 years of deadly, marks 50 years of NAIDOC celebrations and reflects on the strength, resilience and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples over the past five decades.

At PAMS, NAIDOC Week is always an important opportunity to come together as a community, celebrate culture and acknowledge the generations who came before us. This year’s celebrations brought staff, families, Elders and community members together for a day of connection, activities, food and shared stories.

Throughout the week, PAMS also captured the voices of staff reflecting on what NAIDOC means to them. A common theme emerged: pride in culture, connection to community and recognition of those who paved the way.

For many, NAIDOC is about celebrating Martu, Nyiyaparli and all Aboriginal people, recognising our identities and taking the time to come together and celebrate one another. It is also a reminder of the strength shown by generations past, who maintained their connection to Country, family and culture through times of adversity and change (also, an excuse for a good feed!).

When Tina thinks of NAIDOC, she thinks of the strength the people before us, that walked the land and fought for us to be where we are today. We captured three videos to share what NAIDOC means to our team: 

"How deadly are we to be able to survive this long through resilience, adversity, strength, courage and connection to Country, connection to family and looking after all of our people."

Fifty years of NAIDOC is a milestone worth celebrating, but it is also a reminder that culture remains strong, communities continue to thrive, and the next generation will carry these stories, values and connections forward.

At PAMS, we are proud to celebrate NAIDOC not just for one week, but through the relationships, culture and community spirit that guide our work every day.