The National NAIDOC Committee (NNC) make key decisions on National NAIDOC activities including the dates for the week-long celebrations, the focus city, the theme, the National NAIDOC Poster Competition winner and the National NAIDOC Awards winners.
The NNC is a voluntary Committee independent of Government and comprises of eight committee members and two co-chairs. NNC members are appointed for a term of three years following a following a public expression of interest process.
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 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (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 chaired the committee until 2008. Co-Chairing responsibilities were transferred to Dr Anne Martin and Ben Mitchell who undertook the role for 10 years during 2008-2018. Since that time, Patricia Thompson and John Paul Janke chaired the National NAIDOC Committee. In 2020, membership changes have seen Shannan Dodson join John Paul Janke as Co-Chair.
Learn more about Shannan and John Paul, along with other members of the National NAIDOC Committee -
