It’s NAIDOC Week, a time to celebrate and acknowledge the immense contribution that First Nation people have made – and continue to make – to our culture, history, and way of life in Australia.
Red Nose is proud to work alongside First Nation families, health professionals and communities to help keep babies safe and to reduce sudden infant deaths and stillbirth.
NAIDOC Week celebrations are normally held in July, but were postponed to November due to COVID-19.
NAIDOC Week is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local First Nation communities.
Wherever you live, you can take part in NAIDOC Week celebrations – to find out more or find an event near you visit naidoc.org.au
NAIDOC Week also provides an opportunity for us to reflect and celebrate the improvements we have made at Red Nose over the last 12 months to become more culturally inclusive.
In last year, we have:
- Added a special Red Nose Acknowledgement of Country to all Red Nose websites, which signals to Indigenous people that Red Nose is a culturally-safe organisation where they will be treated with respect.
- Instituted the special Red Nose Acknowledgement of Country and Welcome for all Red Nose meetings, both internal and external. This helps to demonstrate our commitment to being culturally-inclusive and our acknowledgement that Indigenous people have experienced loss in many forms including the devastation of infant and child deaths and the Stolen Generation.
- Welcomed two Indigenous researchers and health professionals to our National Scientific Advisory Group (NSAG): midwife Cherisse Buzzacot and community health nurse Melanie Robinson.
- Created an Indigenous Working Group within NSAG to help further develop our education programs and materials for First Nation families. There are three highly skilled First Nation Health workers contributing to that group.
- Started the groundwork to create our first-ever Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP will drive our work towards becoming more inclusive and welcoming for First Nation parents, carers and health professionals – and ensuring our programs are culturally-appropriate and responsive to their needs.
- Our RROSIAC program in WA was awarded the WA Kidsafe Award at the 2020 WA Consumer Protection Awards. The award acknowledged the significant achievements of the RROSIAC program over the last 10 years to reduce SUDI rates in WA First Nation communities and the delivery of Pepi-Pods to families in the Kimberley region ensuring all infants have a safe sleeping space.
Red Nose is proud of these achievements and we look forward to continuing to work closely with Indigenous health professionals, families and community.