Kiama Municipal Council is proud to support NAIDOC Week with this year's celebrations marking a significant milestone of five decades.
The 2026 theme is 50 Years of Deadly, paying tribute to the voices of our communities who have been steady, unapologetic and proud.
NAIDOC Week has annually called for truth, celebrated culture, honoured resistance and reminded the nation of who we are.
The 50 Years of Deadly theme recognises the people who built this movement - the Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression and the communities who keep showing up, year after year.
Mayor McDonald and Cr Larkins will represent Kiama Council at the Local Government Regional NAIDOC Awards 2026 next Saturday (18 July).
Kiama Council is a proud partner of this event, which is being hosted by Wollongong City Council this year.
Next year's event will be hosted by Kiama Council.
"On behalf of Kiama Council, I'd like to congratulate everyone who has been nominated for this year's awards," Mayor Cameron McDonald said.
"NAIDOC Week has a proud, long-lasting legacy over the past half a century and it is essential that we honour the ongoing contributions of First Nations people."
The Local Government Regional NAIDOC Awards recognise the talents, achievements and outstanding contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to improve the lives of people in their communities and beyond.
They also promote issues impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the wider community including working towards reconciliation.
First held in 2011, the awards are organised collaboratively by four councils: Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven.
Gerringong Library and Museum Gallery is celebrating NAIDOC Week by displaying the Marrumbang art exhibition by Wiradjuri woman Kay A from Cowra, which runs until Thursday.
Marrumbang, the Wiradjuri word for kindness and/or love, connects Kay A to family, earth, sky and water.
The artworks in this contemporary Aboriginal art exhibition encourage recognition and appreciation of Saltwater Country.
Kiama Councillor Stuart Larkins, a proud Wodi-Wodi and Yuin man, said NAIDOC Week is "a really important celebration" for all Australians.
"There are many local people who love celebrating and recognising the strength, resilience and achievements of Aboriginal people across Australia," he said.
"The local Aboriginal people are certainly proud to share and celebrate local culture and history with the Kiama community."
