2024 NAIDOC Week Award winners announced

Australian Community Media

Ahead of NAIDOC week, the National NAIDOC Week Awards was held in Adelaide on Kaurna Yerta Country on July 6, 2024, to celebrate First Nations excellence.

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00:00The 2024 National NAIDOC Person of the Year is...

00:05Aunty Muriel Bamblett!

00:07Muriel Bamblett, AO, is a proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Al Noorung, Boon Wurrung.

00:16She has been advocating for our young people as the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Childcare Agency for 25 years.

00:25She is passionate that our kids grow up connected to culture and care of life.

00:31I want to dedicate this award to my mum and my dad.

00:35Both of them came off missions and reserved.

00:38Dad was born on Lake Tyers.

00:40He was put off the mission at 14 because he had fair skin.

00:43My mum came off Cummeragunja Mission.

00:46They only had Grade 3 education.

00:50Uncle Kim Collard is a Balatang Whadjuk Elder of the Noongar Nation.

00:57A prominent businessman...

00:59The mantra was always about make a dollar, make a difference.

01:03For those in the audience, the word philanthropy means for the love of humanity.

01:08So keep the fire burning.

01:11Aunty Millie Eno is a Wiradjuri Elder, originally from Cowra, NSW.

01:18She is one of the founders of Maawila, the first Aboriginal Community Controlled Early Childhood Centre,

01:26and the Waianga Aboriginal Aged Care Program in Redfern, NSW.

01:31It's important to be an Elder.

01:36Not many of us get to this age, and to be an Elder.

01:40And what is our legacy?

01:42Our legacy should be to give hope and opportunities to our younger people.

01:48And I'm so proud of our younger generations of Aboriginal people that we have coming up today.

01:54Carlito Dante Rodriguez is an entrepreneur, an athlete and a proud Tiwi Islander.

02:01He advocates for mental health awareness, running health programs for youth in the Northern Territory.

02:07Through the 1% Program, a business he co-founded with his cousin.

02:15Everyone in this room has done their part to keep the fire burning,

02:19for their mob, for their country and for their own values all across Australia.

02:24But tonight I just want to acknowledge how bright Adelaide is burning tonight.

02:28With all you amazing deadly people in this room,

02:31how all of our separate fires have come together all in one place here tonight

02:38to burn loud and proud and in unity.

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