Chair of the Aboriginal Co Op, Neville Brown said the national theme this year was "learn, respect, celebrate" -as well as "share", a theme which he added especially for Wellington's celebrations."We want to share it with everyone," he said.-

CEO of the Aboriginal Lands Council, Leanne Stanley said Saturday would be a fun and busy day for families.-

Staff from the zoo are bringing animals and it will also be a chance to learn about local Aboriginal culture and language in workshops, enjoy bush tucker or take part in the three-on-three basketball competition.-

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As the celebrations began at the Aboriginal Lands Council this week, chair Herb Smith said it was a chance to reflect on the many achievements that had been made by Aboriginal people, not just Australia-wide, but in the Wellington community across all facets of life whether it be academic, sporting or in the arts.-

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"Naidoc is there for a reason: to help us celebrate our culture and it also allows us to celebrate the achievements of people within our communities," he said.-

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"When I look at our own community in Wellington, every day, every month and part of the year people are achieving."-

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"I do see so many of our people working together for the good of our community and it's a wonderful thing to see."-

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"Naidoc week is celebrated not just by the Aboriginal community but by the broader community in general and over the last 20 years it has increased. We are getting more and more of our community involved and it's great to see."-

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Back to Nanima takes place at 10am on Saturday for a 10.30am start at Nanima and goes all day.-

You can go online to see our Naidoc gallery as the week's events unfold.-

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