Each July, Australia marks NAIDOC Week, a time to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – custodians of the oldest continuous living cultures on earth.
This year’s theme, “50 Years of Deadly,” celebrates decades of knowledge, resilience and leadership carried forward through generation after generation.
For Young Guns, as an Indigenous-owned business, NAIDOC Week isn’t something we observe from the sidelines. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the values that have shaped our business and the responsibility that comes with honouring them every day.
Why this week matters
So much of who we are as a business is drawn from First Nations wisdom.
It shows up in how we care for our people, in the reciprocity we try to build into every relationship, and in the regard we hold for each person’s autonomy and capability. It also shapes how we think about leadership.
We’ve deliberately turned the traditional organisational chart upside down so that leadership exists to serve the people on the front line, not the other way around.
None of these ideas are things we invented. They are cultural learnings we’ve been privileged to draw from, and principles we work hard to honour in how we operate day to day.
A milestone theme like 50 Years of Deadly is a reminder of the legacy that’s been built and the responsibility that comes with playing even a small part in carrying it forward.
A conversation with Edrick Lee
As part of our learning during NAIDOC Week, we sat down with Edrick Lee, Pathways Coordinator at Young Guns Potential First Foundation, to talk about culture, community and what this week means to him as a Torres Strait Islander man.
Edrick shared his reflections on the role culture plays in bringing people together, alongside images from his own community.
Throughout NAIDOC Week, Edrick also performed with the Wagga Torres Strait Island Dance Team, based in Magandjin (Brisbane). Tracing its roots to Senpol Village on Mua Island, the group continues an unbroken thread of cultural knowledge and dance traditions passed from one generation to the next, with third and fourth generation performers proudly carrying that legacy forward.
Still learning, and better for it
Conversations like this one are part of a broader learning journey for us as a business, not a once-a-year moment.
Culture, community and connection to Country are lived every day by the people who work with us and alongside us. NAIDOC Week simply gives us an opportunity to pause, reflect and celebrate that publicly.
To Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia, thank you. We’re still learning, and we’re all better for it.