From 7-14 July, a series of events across Australia will mark NAIDOC Week, delivered this year under the theme 'Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let's work together for a shared future'.
How did NAIDOC Week start?
Organised by the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, NAIDOC has its roots in activism that took place in the 1920s and 30s.
On Australia Day 1938, protesters marched through Sydney in what was called a Day of Mourning.
Its success led to the day being marked each year on the Sunday before Australia Day, in what became known as National Aborigines Day. That was eventually shifted to July so the day of protest could also be one of celebrating Aboriginal culture.
In 1975, the annual commemoration became a week-long event marked from the first to the second Sunday in July.
This year's theme
John Paul Janke, co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee, says the enduring quest for a treaty and for a process known as truth-telling is reflected in this year's theme.
"The NAIDOC Committee felt that those issues have been sort of bubbling away at the surface for generations," he told SBS News.
"Aboriginal people have always been asking for a say in their own affairs and on issues that affect them and we've been asking for a treaty or similar agreement for generations."
"We believe that the best way to do that is to undergo a truth-telling exercise ... to tell the true history of this country, and it's something that the NAIDOC Committee felt it's time to undertake."
