Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

2024 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

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 2026 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

Last year over 2,000 community members marched together in unity at the Tweed Heads NAIDOC March and Corroboree in the Park, in what has become a powerful, annual tradition. We hope the community suports this event again in 2026.

For more information visit the What's On Tweed.

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is held each year from 27 May to 3 June. Each year features a different theme, but the purpose remains the same: to encourage all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to reflect on how we can support reconciliation in our everyday lives.

NRW commemorates two significant milestones in Australia's reconciliation journey:

• 27 May 1967 – the Referendum
• 3 June 1992 – the Mabo decision

Reconciliation is a shared responsibility. It is not something Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should carry alone. It means learning, listening and taking meaningful action to create a more inclusive and respectful future.

For more information, visit Reconciliation Australia.

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.

Policies and strategies