Across the country, NAIDOC Week celebrations have begun, running from 5-12 July 2026. This year’s theme – ’50 Years of Deadly’ – marks how NAIDOC Week has proudly celebrated the voices, culture, history and achievements of First Nations communities for five decades. Each year, the occasion has called for truth and reflection, celebrated culture and reminded people about the importance of showing up and speaking up.
For this year’s NAIDOC Week, CHL is launching its new First Nations embodied design: ‘A Journey of Growth and Place’. Similar to this year’s theme centred on reflection and momentum, the embodied design has been created to reflect CHL’s shared history of walking alongside First Nations communities, as well as our ongoing commitment to reconciliation, learning and growth.
By launching it externally, we are proud to amplify the voices and experiences of those who contributed to its creation, plus celebrate First Nations culture, storytelling and connection to place and community. CHL partnered with 100% Aboriginal-owned and operated IM Social Impact Agency to engage our people, customers and community in workshops to inform the brief, before working with artist Aneika Kapeen, a proud Yaegl and Bundjalung woman, to create the ‘embodied design’. Unlike traditional artwork, the design has been co-created to belong to CHL and to community, with the process grounded in collaboration and cultural understanding to represent shared stories and values.
Alicia Follent, CHL’s Acting CEO, says, “NAIDOC Week is an important opportunity to pause, reflect and focus on learning about First Nations cultures, histories and achievements as well as participate in celebrations that centre First Nations voices. As part of our team’s celebration of NAIDOC Week, we’re honoured to reveal our new First Nations embodied design that tells a story of connection, movement and shared responsibility, co-created by our people, customers, community and First Nations artists and organisations. Celebrating and empowering the strength and leadership of First Nations communities is crucial, particularly in regard to developing housing that is culturally appropriate and sustainable. At CHL, we will continue our commitment to reconciliation walking alongside First Nations communities and strengthening how we show up, including through our Reconciliation Action Plan.”
The meaning behind ‘A Journey of Growth and Place’
The embodied design reflects CHL’s ongoing journey of growth and its role in supporting communities across the housing sector. The design speaks to transformation over time. A seed becomes a nurtured tree, symbolising care, patience and long-term commitment. Winding pathways move across Country, travelling through red dirt landscapes, coastlines, rivers and waterways, forests and mountain ranges. These paths represent place-based engagement and the many journeys taken to connect with communities where they live and belong. The design tells a story of connection, movement and shared responsibility. It is a visual expression of walking alongside communities, grounded in Country and growing together with care and intention.
Learn more about the embodied design in this animation.
Meet the artist: Aneika Kapeen
‘A Journey of Growth and Place’ was created by Aneika Kapeen, a proud Yaegl and Bundjalung woman known for her extensive contributions to her community, particularly in the realm of education and cultural preservation.
As the founder and CEO of the Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation, Aneika has dedicated her life to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth in the northern NSW region. Born and raised in the Clarence Valley, Aneika’s journey into community leadership began at a young age, motivated by her experiences as a mother struggling to access early childhood education for her children. This led her to establish the Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation, which now runs various programs to support youth and their families.
Aneika’s artwork is inspired by her connection to Country and her dedication to community.
