Every NAIDOC Week is special in its own right, but 2025 is an extra momentous occasion, marking its 50 year anniversary! 50 years of community coming together, celebrating and honouring Indigenous voices, our culture, and the resilience of mob.
The 2025 theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," carries on beautifully from 2024, where we joined together to ‘Keep the fire burning’. This year celebrates not only the achievements of those who have come before us, but the path that lays ahead of us; a path empowered by the strength of our children and young people, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.
From this solid foundation, the next generation will rise—grounded in the strength of our Elders, history, inspired by a shared vision, and committed to building a legacy of unity, respect, and self-determination for all. This NAIDOC Week, we celebrate not just a milestone but a movement that endures, grows, and evolves—driven by the unwavering strength of our communities, the shared vision of our people, and the enduring legacy we pass on to those who will shape our future. Together, we walk forward, honouring where we've come from and looking boldly to the next generation who will carry NAIDOC and their communities into the future.
— NAIDOC 2025
Four key elements to celebrate
We see four key elements in this year’s theme, an exciting opportunity for educators and teachers to celebrate NAIDOC with their children in meaningful and intentional ways. Let’s take a moment to break down these themes and then explore ways you can celebrate these themes in your early years setting:
1. The next generation
Our children! Our young people! The next generation is indeed why we all do what we do. The ups and downs of the last few years since the failed 2023 referendum have shown us that while the political atmosphere may chop and change over the years, and policies may come and go, one thing remains unchanging; and that is the positive impact that passionate educators can have on building inclusive education spaces for our children and young people.
2. Strength
The NAIDOC journey began back in 1975 as a movement for recognition and rights, led by Indigenous communities who saw a future built on justice and equality. Over the decades, it has grown and grown, supported by both mob and allies, into a powerful national celebration; a real testament to the strength of our people. This strength stems from our ancestors, from our culture and from our communities, and it is this strength we pass onto our children.
3. Vision
The NAIDOC theme this year highlights the shared vision of our peoples, a vision and commitment to building an Australia that is grounded in unity, respect for all our First Nations peoples, and self-determination for all. This vision is the dream of those who walked before us, it is up to us to bring it to life. As the saying goes… “I am my Ancestors’ wildest dream”. This brings us to the final part of the 2025 theme...
4. Legacy
This is a challenge to us all to consider the following questions. What will we pass onto those who come after us? The groundwork we lay today will pave the steps for the next generation, so what is the legacy that we will leave them? And how will we leave a legacy that honours our Elders and where we have come from?
Big words, and even bigger meaning underpin this year’s NAIDOC theme, and I am filled with excitement to consider the possibilities of how this theme can be celebrated in the early childhood space.
I recently spoke with Deb Belyea, the Torres Strait Islander artist behind the 2024 NAIDOC Poster, about what NAIDOC this year means to her. Deb highlights the importance of culture, and of passing knowledge onto the next generation.
I think that this year’s theme, The Next Generation: strength, vision and legacy, allows us to reflect on our responsibilities as First Nations People. Because of the strong cultural teachings of our elders, we must think about how we pass on our cultural knowledge to our next generation. Our children thrive when immersed in culture giving them strength and confidence and a real sense of our unique identity. We pass this knowledge on to them so that our cultures stay strong.
— Deb Belyea, Samuawgadhalayg (member of the Cassowary Clan), Torres Strait Islander and Director of Zeyawgub Consultancy.
Ideas for authentic and meaningful celebrations
As you can see, this year is an especially important NAIDOC one, and so being able to celebrate it in authentic and meaningful ways in your classroom is more important than ever. Below we outline a few ideas to get you started on your NAIDOC planning:
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As always, try and bring community into your educational space. Get in early with booking in an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander business or service provider to come and share culture with you and your students. There is nothing more valuable than learning from mob. Storytelling, arts and crafts, weaving, music or traditional games incursions or excursions are always lots of fun, but remember that First Nations businesses providing these services often book out for NAIDOC week, many months in advance, so be proactive and make your bookings early!
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Create a visual timeline of key milestones in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, celebrating people and dates of significance, and display this in your centre reception area for all families to explore.
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Showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander picture books in your classrooms with a ‘Reading for Reconciliation’ type challenge; where educators intentionally select diverse First Nations book choices to explore with their children.
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Be sure that your service’s marketing team follows, shares and comments on NAIDOC social media content.
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Display the NAIDOC poster and make opportunities within your classroom to celebrate and explore the artwork behind the poster, learning about its meaning and the artist who created it.
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As this is the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC, why not celebrate the journey, by showcasing previous years’ posters in a beautiful collage.
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Encourage your staff to listen to podcasts or music by First Nations artists and creatives. A great list of suggestions can be found at Deadlystory, SBS and the NAIDOC website.
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Attend your local NAIDOC Week events! You can find an event in your local area by checking out the NAIDOC Event Calendar.
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Given the theme around legacy, why not create a collaborative piece of artwork with your children, asking them each to draw or paint something that is important to them, discussing what the future looks like to them; their dreams and aspirations.
However you and your service decide to mark NAIDOC this year, we encourage you to think big! Fifty years of NAIDOC is worth celebrating. Not only is 50 years a milestone, but indeed, it symbolises a movement that “endures, grows, and evolves — driven by the unwavering strength of our communities, the shared vision of our people, and the enduring legacy we pass on to those who will shape our future” (NAIDOC 2025).
Further reading and resources:
NAIDOC website
CELA member resource: Respectfully connect with your local First Nations community
Amplify! article by Deborah Hoger: An ethical approach to exploring Aboriginal art in ECEC
Deadly Story podcasts
About Deborah
Deborah Hoger is a Dunghutti woman and owner and Director of a business specialising in Indigenous educational resources. She is passionate about using early childhood as a platform to introduce children to the rich depth of knowledge and unique perspectives that Indigenous Australia has to offer.