News edition for 5 July 2026. Added to Nungya on 22 October 2026 as part of our retrospective news archive. Reporting reflects information available by the edition date.

NAIDOC Week begins today with a theme celebrating five decades of the national week and the people who have sustained it. Organisers, families, artists and community groups are at the centre of this year’s milestone.

National NAIDOC Week runs from 5 to 12 July this year. The National NAIDOC Committee announced the 2026 theme, 50 Years of Deadly, on 25 January, framing it as a celebration of five decades of NAIDOC Week and the people who have carried it forward.

The anniversary recognises NAIDOC Week’s place in a much longer story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, community organising and public celebration. It is a chance to learn about the local people who have kept the week growing.

There are many ways to approach the theme without making one event speak for everyone. Look at a local organiser’s program. Learn who has produced a performance or exhibition. Follow an artist’s account of their practice. Notice the names behind a celebration as well as the logo at the top of a poster.

The committee’s announcement is a useful place to begin because it explains the theme in its own terms. Let that lead to the people and organisations choosing to share their work this week. Celebration is richer when its makers are visible.

Read the original report: NAIDOC launches 2026 theme “50 Years of Deadly”, marks major milestone.