Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander journalists and presenters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have come together to celebrate NAIDOC Week this week (4-11 July) in a campaign to highlight the importance of Indigenous storytelling all year round.
The ABC said its NAIDOC Week campaign saw Indigenous staff from across the country share stories and talk about the vital role they played in keeping culture, customs and communities connected.
It said the campaign, running across television, radio and online, told Australians what NAIDOC Week meant to the ABC and the importance of incorporating Indigenous stories, culture and perspectives into content every day.
Indigenous Affairs Correspondent for ABC News and Torres Strait Islander woman, Isabella Higgins said storytelling was about survival.
“It’s about ensuring our languages, our culture, our customs, that they survive and that they’re there for the next generation,” Ms Higgins said.
“NAIDOC Week is this incredible time where, as First Nations people, we see our culture pushed to the forefront,” she said.
“The ABC is making sure the voices of all First Nations communities are at the front of all of our storytelling.”
Triple j presenter and Torres Strait Islander man, Dave Woodhead said First Nations people had so much history to share and “all people have to do is open their hearts and ears and just listen to us”.
“Storytelling is so important because things that happened a thousand years ago still have relevance today,” Mr Woodhead said.
