Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Acknowledgement of Country
We wish to acknowledge the Ngandowal and Minyungbal speaking people of Bundjalung Country, in particular the Goodjinburra, Tul-gi-gin and Moorung – Moobah clans, as being the traditional owners and custodians of the land and waters within the Tweed Shire boundaries. We also acknowledge and respect the Tweed Aboriginal community’s right to speak for its Country and to care for its traditional Country in accordance with its lore, customs and traditions.
Heritage Reconciliation Events Awareness Committees Strategy
Cultural heritage
Aboriginal sites and locations within the Tweed Shire hold immense cultural significance, representing the enduring heritage of traditional custodians and their ancestral practices. These sites retain profound value in the present day.
Central to the identity of Tweed’s Aboriginal communities is language, known as Bundjalung in the Tweed and further south, Yugambeh in southeast Queensland, and Githabul in Kyogle Shire.
In the Tweed, the language dialect is Ngandowal, referring to those who use ‘Ngando’ for ‘who’ or ‘somebody.’ Meanwhile, the area encompassing the Tweed Coast and south to Byron is known as Minyungbal, where ‘Minyung’ signifies ‘what’ or ‘something’ and serves as an identifier for its people.
You can learn more about the rich cultural heritage of the Tweed region via our Museum website.
View Aboriginal cultural heritage projects across the Tweed
Reconciliation in the Tweed
Tweed Shire Council is committed to reconciliation and to building a community where everyone feels respected, valued and included.
We recognise the deep and continued connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country in the Tweed. We celebrate their cultures, histories and ongoing contributions to our community.
Reconciliation is more than acknowledgement. It is about learning the truth of our shared history, building respectful relationships, and taking action together.
Council continues to support reconciliation initiatives and events that strengthen understanding, promote cultural education and encourage meaningful community participation.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP)
Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2024–2026 guides our work toward a more inclusive future.
The RAP supports:
- Stronger relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Greater understanding of local cultures, histories and stories
- Practical actions that create positive and lasting change
Events
National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) runs from 27 May to 3 June 2026.
It is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories and reflect on how we can support reconciliation in everyday life.
NRW marks two key milestones in Australia's reconciliation journey:
- 27 May 1967 Referendum
- 3 June 1992 Mabo decision
2026 theme: All In
The All In theme calls on everyone to commit to reconciliation every day.
Reconciliation is a shared responsibility. It is not something Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should carry alone. Being All In means learning, listening and taking meaningful action.
For more information visit Reconciliation Australia.
Join National Reconciliation Week in the Tweed
Tweed Shire Council is proud to support a full program of exhibitions, cultural activities and community events across the shire during National Reconciliation Week 2026.
Events are delivered in partnership with local community and cultural organisations and are open to everyone.
Events in the Tweed include:
Kingscliff Walk on Country
A highlight of the week is the much-loved Walk on Country event.
Sunday 31 May 2026 | 10 am – 12 pm
Starts at: Cudgen Creek – Ed Rotary Park, Kingscliff
Finishes at: Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club
This free, family-friendly event includes:
- A guided cultural walk
- Storytelling and cultural performances
- Live music Children’s activities
- Native plant giveaways
- Community sausage sizzle
Supported by Tweed Shire Council.
Council‑supported exhibitions and activities
Tweed Regional Museum – The Wiiyaan
The community is invited to experience The Wiiyaan, an exhibition exploring the ancestors of the Tweed Bundjalung people.
The exhibition shares the Three Brothers creation story through digital and material artworks created by the local Aboriginal community, supporting cultural knowledge for future generations.
General public: Visit Tweed Regional Museum during opening hours
For more information visit the Tweed Regional Museum website.
Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre – Mīal
The Gallery will present Mīal, an exhibition by acclaimed Aboriginal artist Archie Moore (Kamilaroi / Bigambul).
On tour from the National Portrait Gallery, Mīal is a conceptual self‑portrait exploring identity, language, racism and power.
Free highlight talk: Braelyn Rolfe‑Chase on Mīal
Friday 29 May 2026 | 2.00 pm
Bookings essential.
Register now
For more information visit the Tweed Regional Gallery website.
Find out more
NAIDOC Week
Naidoc Week 2026 will run from Sunday 5 July – Sunday 12 July.
The week promising a range of engaging community events across the Tweed, including the NAIDOC Ball and annual March & Corrobboree in the park on Friday 10 July which will see hundreds of people from the community walk from Tweed Heads Civic Centre towards Jack Evans Boat Harbour for celebrations, including, cultural storytelling and dance. The event begins at 10 am outside the Tweed Civic Centre.
In the Tweed, NAIDOC Week events are primarily coordinated by the Tweed Heads NAIDOC Committee.
For the full NAIDOC 2024 program of events, please visit the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council website.
About NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.
This year’s theme 50 Years of Deadly
For five decades, NAIDOC Week has celebrated the voices of our communities — steady, unapologetic, and proud. Each year, its themes have called for truth, celebrated culture, honoured resistance, and reminded the nation of who we are.
Fifty Years of Deadly marks a milestone. It’s a tribute to the people who built this movement. The Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up, year after year. National NAIDOC Theme | NAIDOC
For more information visit the What's On Tweed.
Cultural awareness at Council
Banaam Cultural Intelligence training
Banaam are a local organisation of leaders and innovators in Cultural Intelligence and use applications, based on Indigenous frameworks and cultural principles, to equip and empower individuals, teams and organisations.
We have integrated Banaam Cultural Intelligence workshops into all staff development to further help our teams understand the importance of local First Nations culture.
Committees
Our Community Development Officer - Aboriginal attends the following groups to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community development across the Tweed.
Tweed Goori Interagency
The Tweed Goori Interagency is a networking forum for community service organisations working with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
These meetings help organisations share advice and support as well offer information on programs and initiatives by their respective organisations.
The networking forum meet every 8 weeks.
Wollumbin Consultative Group
Wollumbin, which includes the Mount Warning mountain complex, has been a sacred place of great significance to the people of Bundjalung and other Aboriginal groups since time immemorial. Wollumbin, along with other significant sites in its surrounds, provides a traditional place of cultural law, initiation and spiritual education.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (Northern Rivers Region) work with representatives of the local Aboriginal community in the management of Wollumbin National Park and Wollumbin State Conservation Area.
The Wollumbin Consultative Group provides a formal opportunity for representatives of the Aboriginal community to have real and meaningful involvement in management of these reserves.
The Wollumbin Consultative Group makes recommendations to the Regional Manager on management plans for Wollumbin National Park and Wollumbin State Conservation Area. This includes any amendments to the current adopted Plan of Management for Mount Warning National Park.
The group also advises on education and interpretative policies, operational issues including work programs and co-management options.
The Wollumbin Consultative Group is governed by guidelines similar to a Memorandum of Understanding. Members include representatives from:
- Local Aboriginal Land Councils
- Bundjalung Elders Council and adjacent Native Title Claimants
- Family groups with a cultural interest in Wollumbin, Northern Rivers Region National Parks and Wildlife Service
- Cultural Heritage Division of Office of Environment and Heritage
For all enquires contact NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS).
Policies and strategies
Aboriginal Statement of Commitment
The Aboriginal Statement was developed in consultation with the Aboriginal Advisory Committee and was adopted 13 November 2007.
Reconciliation Action Plan
Council has developed the Reconciliation Action Plan 2024-2026(PDF, 4MB), the first ever developed between Tweed Shire Council and the Aboriginal Advisory Committee to Council.
The plan marks the first stage of commitments from Council to the Aboriginal community to:
- act in good faith
- recognise the significance of the Aboriginal communities’ long standing and special place in the Tweed
- continue the process to redress the wrongs of the past and those still being inflicted on Aboriginal people
- work with the community to treasure this ancient, long-standing culture and Country.
Read more above about how we're taking action on reconciliation.