Theme '50 Years of Deadly' marks 5th July to 12th July
Families across Australia are being encouraged to use NAIDOC Week, from 5th July to 12th July, to explore First Nations stories, culture and perspectives at home and in their communities.
This year’s event marks 50 years of celebrating the culture, strength and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The 2026 theme, “50 Years of Deadly”, looks back on that history while also pointing to the next generation.
Triple P – Positive Parenting programme is urging families to use small everyday moments to help children build confidence, belonging and respect for different cultural views.
Vena Beetson, a Gubbi Gubbi and Wiradjuri trainer and Triple P implementation consultant, said families do not need expert knowledge to begin. “Families don’t need all the answers when talking about NAIDOC Week or First Nations histories and cultures, just a willingness to be curious, to listen and to learn alongside their children,” she said.
According to Triple P, parents can share stories, listen carefully to children and make space for questions that start at school and continue at home.
Triple P for First Nations Families
Beetson said NAIDOC Week offers families a practical chance to engage with First Nations knowledge, stories and perspectives in everyday life.
“NAIDOC reflects the ongoing leadership and cultural knowledge that remain deeply connected to First Nations ways of knowing, doing and being. It’s not just about recognising the past but thinking about how we support the next generation in everyday family life,” she said.
Beetson also highlighted a long-term outlook in many First Nations communities. In Triple P’s work across Australia, that thinking includes planning for the next 60,000 years through care, connection and responsibility across generations.
Triple P suggests reading books by First Nations authors, watching films by First Nations creators, listening to First Nations music and joining local NAIDOC community events.
Triple P says children who feel heard and included at home can grow in confidence and develop a stronger sense of belonging.
The Triple P for First Nations Families programme is designed to build parents’ confidence, self-efficacy, problem-solving skills and decision-making for their own households.
Free parenting support is available 24/7 at triplep-parenting.net.au. The Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing funds the service.
