By Keira Jenkins

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the nation are getting ready to mark a week-long celebration of culture, in the wake of last year’s devastating referendum loss.

NAIDOC Week recognises the significance of First Nations people and cultures and this year’s theme will emphasise the need to “keep the fire burning”.

The event began on January 26, 1938, when about 1000 people marched through the streets of Sydney to protest the treatment of indigenous people since colonisation.

While Australia was celebrating the 150th anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet, Aboriginal people called it the Day of Mourning.

“Our people held a march to protest that the 150-year celebrations basically denied Aboriginal people’s existence, but also the lie that it was a peaceful colonisation of Australia,” National NAIDOC co-chair Aunty Lynette Riley told AAP.

It continued to be marked on the Sunday before Australia Day, and known as Aborigines Day.

In 1950s, the day was moved to the first Sunday in July, becoming not just a time of protest but of celebration, too.

It was 50 years ago when, for the first time, the entire committee comprised indigenous people and became a week-long event.

Each year, the NAIDOC committee decides on a theme for the celebrations; this year is it “Keep the fire burning! Blak, loud and proud”.

Dr Riley said it’s a response to the defeat of October’s referendum to enshrine an indigenous voice to parliament in the constitution.

“For many Aboriginal people, we were totally demoralised,” she told AAP.

“The things it made us realise was how much racism still exists in Australia, and… how much work needs to be done to raise awareness and educate non-indigenous Australians.

“What we had to do as indigenous people in Australia is to keep the fire burning, keep the passion alive, keep the fight going.

“While we are doing that we have to celebrate who we are, that we’re Blak and we have to be loud and proud about it.”

Education is key to keeping the fire burning according to Dr Riley, who worked with educators from Culture is Life to develop classroom resources around this year’s theme.

First Nations educators Thara Brown, Stephanie and Arkeria Armstrong and Jasmine Miller wrote the resources for students in preschool through to high school.

Ms Brown, a Yorta Yorta woman, said the resources have a strong history focus, profiling elders, and explaining the roots of where NAIDOC began.

“Keep the fire burning centred around honouring our Elders that have paved the way for us to be where we are today, and to pass that firestick on to young mob,” she said.

Ms Brown said that although the resources focus on the NAIDOC theme they can be used in classrooms well beyond the week.

“The goal is that all people living in Australia are proud of the oldest living, continuous culture in the world,” she said.

“The pride should run deep in what we’ve been able to not only survive but share with the world.”

NAIDOC Week runs July 7-14.