Controversy over ACT Reconciliation Day

The ACT is set to become the first Australian state or territory to hold a Reconciliation Day public holiday, but the move has courted some controversy.

Bush tucker, boomerang throwing, ranger talks and indigenous dance and musical performances will be among activities at a community event in Canberra's Glebe Park on Monday.

The ACT government's indigenous affairs minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the day was about celebrating the oldest surviving culture in the world.

"Canberrans should be proud to be part of a community where we can all come together to recognise and celebrate the important place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history in our city and nation," she said.

But former ACT chief minister Jon Stanhope has expressed scepticism over the concept, questioning the appropriateness of celebrations amid ongoing indigenous disadvantage in the territory, including poverty and a widening education gap.

The ACT has the second highest rate of Aboriginal children in protective care as well as indigenous incarceration.

Meanwhile, the National Gallery of Australia will launch special indigenous tours on Monday.