The National NAIDOC Committee makes key decisions on National NAIDOC including the focus city, the theme, the award winners and the poster competition winner.
Decisions on NAIDOC were once made by the National Aborigines’ and Islanders’ Day Observance Committee that gave the celebrations their name. Between 1997 and 2004, this role was performed by ATSIC. With the abolition of ATSIC in March 2005, an interim committee based in the focus State, South Australia, made decisions on NAIDOC 2005.
At the 2005 National NAIDOC Ball and Awards Ceremony the interim committee presented Indigenous leader and former Senator Aden Ridgeway with a message stick as the ‘custodian’ of NAIDOC. Aden has continued this role and has chaired the national committee since 2006.
2008 National Committee members:
- Aden Ridgeway (Chairperson)
- Anne Martin
- Leah Purcell
- Ben Mitchell
- Jason Glanville
- Jason Field
- Rosalind Coleman
- Bilawara Lee
- Maurice Walker
- Glenda Hyde
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