Health / Employment / Housing / Education / Life expectancy / Child protection / Economic participation and empowerment
What’s really happening in Alice Springs
21/02/23 7am podcast.com.au from The Monthly & The Saturday Paper: Violence and vandalism in Alice Springs became a national fascination this year. One community meeting, held by a group calling itself ‘Save Alice Springs’, became a focal point of the media’s coverage.
But another meeting took place as well. On the edge of town, hundreds of Indigenous leaders and community members came together to discuss the crisis. Listen here
For further background information about the history of what has brought Alice Springs/Mpartne to its present circumstances read: Inside the Northern Territory intervention by Paul Gilchrist
October 15, 2022 / By Paul Gilchrist
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Getting former prisoners work-ready at Ngalla Maya
22/12/22 NIT News Youtube: This short video, “Getting former prisoners work-ready at Ngalla Maya” discusses how Ngalla Maya is breaking national records and saving the Western Australian Government millions in the process, on giving former prisoners the tools to kickstart their journey back into employment. Follow our channel for more at @natindigtimes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgMOr2wCVcA
Record employment and training results for Roebourne community through Aboriginal-led program
24/12/2022 National Indigenous Times:
Over 18 Aboriginal people from Roebourne successfully obtained meaningful employment and qualifications through NYFL’s Vocational Employment and Training Program this year. The program is recognised as the most successful Aboriginal-run employment program in the West Pilbara, running a unique model supporting Aboriginal people who live in, or have a strong connection to, Roebourne.
Roebourne’s emerging business scene recognised at annual Pilbara awards ceremony
09/11/22 National Indigenous Times: Ieraramagardu’s (Roebourne) burgeoning local economic scene has been recognised at the largest annual Pilbara business awards. Brida was on October 29 named best Aboriginal business and best business with 20 or more employees at the annual Karratha and Districts Chamber of Commerce and Industry awards. In a post to Facebook, Brida, a 100 per cent-owned Aboriginal business, said the past year had seen substantial growth for the social enterprise.
13YARN: Indigenous helpline launches
17/11 /22 SBS NITV: Initially begun in March 2022 this Indigenous Helpline had its national launch with a smoking ceremony on the steps of Sydney Opera House on 17/11 22.
The hotline offers a unique 24-hour service that will provide a culturally safe space for First Nations people to seek help in times of crisis. National Program Manager Aunty Marjorie Anderson said that the unique resource centres on the power of storytelling in the healing process, and offers a judgment-free place for Indigenous people to express themselves. “The suicide rate for Aboriginal people is double that of the wider community, and the truth of the matter is that our youth are a large part of that,” she said.
13Yarn is funded by the Australian Government with the support of Lifeline and developed in collaboration with Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia.
The 13Yarn Service (13 92 76) is available across the country 24/7 from any phone.
https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/13yarn-nationwide-indigenous-helpline-launches/h0ozsj1eq
Patrick overcame the lowest point in his life. Now he’s sharing his story to help others
12/10/22 SBS NITV Mental Health: A group of Mparntwe men are speaking out about their battles with mental health and how they found strength in their families, communities, music, recycling and each other. Today, Patrick musters strength from all of his family, who constantly remind him of their love. Patrick is one of a number of senior men from Alice Springs’ Tangentyere Men’s Family Safety Group who shared his experiences in a new video. The group works alongside the town’s Women’s Safety Group in primary prevention. Both parties strive to break down gender stereotypes in communities and provide safe spaces for healing and connection
Redfern Indigenous hub’s future remains unclear two months on from closure call fiasco
04/10/22 National Indigenous Times: Key Redfern community leaders claim they are being shut out of conversations around the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence as questions continue to be raised around its future. It follows a lengthy period of uncertainty after a botched handover of ownership from the Government’s Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation to the NSW Aboriginal Land Council threatened to close facilities at the centre.
Kumanjayi Walker inquest hears officer wouldn’t have called specialist team if she had known about racist texts
22/09/22 ABC: The officer in charge of the Yuendumu police station on the night Kumanjayi Walker died says she wouldn’t have allowed the unit Constable Zachary Rolfe was part of into the community if she had known any members of the team had exchanged racist texts
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/nt-regs-inquest-hears-apology/101464122?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=mail&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_webhttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-22/nt-regs-inquest-hears-apology/101464122?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=mail&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
Why we must recognise the injustice of Australia’s medical history
31/08/22 ProBono news: Australia’s medical history is rooted in colonialism and it needs to be acknowledged, writes Jamal Hakim. Australia is a country that was built on reproductive injustice. Historically, to imagine that someone’s reproductive choices were being made for them, because of their race, is horrible. It is eugenics and genocide. This month, we apologised.
Closing the Gap ‘a top priority’ for Albanese government
26/08/22 SBS: The joint council for Closing the Gap has met in Adelaide for the first time since 2021 and sent a strong message about the referendum not holding back progress. It’s the first meeting with the new Labor government and with Linda Burney in the co-chair role.
Brad Murphy vies to become first Indigenous president of an Australian medical college
26/08/22 National Indigenous Times: Indigenous culture could hold the key to turning around Australia’s healthcare crisis, according to the Kamilaroi man seeking to become the first Aboriginal leader of an Australian medical college.
Two aspiring Indigenous leaders gain scholarships to Oxford University
24/08/22 National Indigenous Times: The Charlie Perkins Scholarship, named after one of the first Indigenous students in Australia to graduate from university, is a postgraduate scholarship for aspiring Indigenous leaders in their field of study.
https://www.nit.com.au/two-aspiring-indigenous-leaders-gain-scholarships-to-oxford-university/
Failure to decriminalise Indigenous cultural fishing in NSW contradicts Closing the Gap targets, inquiry hears
19/08/22 ABC: The failure to implement cultural fishing legislation in NSW has worsened the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people, a state parliamentary inquiry has heard.
Dozens of First Nations women arrive in Canberra for Straight Talk Summit, for first time since COVID-19 hit
18/08/22 ABC: More than 50 First Nations women are gathering in Canberra this week as part of the Straight Talk Summit, as they attempt to further their understanding of the political system and build up skills.
Renowned Mount Isa Rodeo launches inaugural Indigenous Championships
14/08/22 ABC: As skilled stockman Peter Jupiter prepares for a saddle bronc ride behind the chutes of Mount Isa’s Buchanan Park, it’s clear that this is not his first rodeo.
Medical care ‘could have saved’ Indigenous man who died on cusp on prison release in northern WA
10/08/22 National Indigenous Times: The death of an Aboriginal teenager in a West Australian prison could have been prevented if he had received adequate medical care, a coronial inquest found on Tuesday.
‘Powerful and unrelenting’ Lowitja O’Donoghue’s legacy honoured on 90th birthday
01/08/22 SBS NITV: The Pitjantjatjara woman’s radical advocacy over decades has been further honoured with scholarships supporting First Nations healthcare and public sector workers.
Latest round of Closing the Gap data shows ‘disappointing’ progress for Indigenous Australians with four of 17 targets on track
27/07/22 ABC: Modest improvements have been recorded for life outcomes for children, healthy birth weights, school attendance and lowering youth detention, and there has been some improvement on sea country rights, but the target is still not on track to be met.
Restraint, seclusion of Indigenous mental health patients in Victoria laid bare in damning report
21/07/22 National Indigenous Times: First Nations Victorians are being restrained and secluded at a higher rate than the general population, a shocking new report by the state’s peak mental health advocacy body has revealed.
Indigenous NDIS poster-boy forced to leave home after funding withdrawn, inquiry hears
12/07/22 National Indigenous Times: A former Indigenous poster boy for the National Disability Insurance Scheme became part of a “stolen generation” once his funding was withdrawn, the disability royal commission has been told.
The residents of this Australian island are taking a unique approach to healthcare
04/07/22 SBS: For the residents of Galiwin’ku, also known as Elcho Island, tucked away off the east coast of Arnhem Land about 550 kilometres from Darwin, an airport visit can often be an anxious affair.
‘Social supermarket’ experiment slashes grocery bills in Pilbara town as costs skyrocket
28/06/22 National Indigenous Times: The Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation-backed, Garlbagu-operated Foundation Food store works with industry, business, government and non-profits to access products discounted for reasons ranging from labels which have been printed incorrectly or fruit which doesn’t fit modern beauty standards of major supermarkets.
GO Foundation, Founder’s Update – June 2022
24/06/22 GO Foundation: It’s been a really productive first half of 2022 for us and we are grateful to Charlene and her team for their continued commitment and dedication in delivering on our GO mission: Empowering through Education. We are incredibly proud of the holistic program that we deliver to our GO Scholars, which has a focus on culture and education to help our young mob reach their full potential. Our Program includes cultural and aspirational connection days, access to professional opportunities through our Partners, and financial support. Our aim is to ensure our young people’s journey through school is as rewarding as possible and provide opportunities that assist with their post school future.
https://www.gofoundation.org.au/blog/founders-june22/
‘The community needs to be in charge’: Sub-standard housing lethal to Indigenous patients
17/06/22 NITV News: First Nations people living in remote housing with unstable electricity connections in the Northern Territory’s extreme heat are enduring life-threatening conditions. A research paper published this month in the Medical Journal of Australia found that First Nations people with chronic diseases who depend on cool storage and electrical equipment are vulnerable to dying earlier. The study was conducted by the ANU in partnership with the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation in the Northern Territory, where extreme heat stress has become a reality in the past few years.
https://apple.news/Av-mwLE0AT4OY92FeMjYTQg
Type two diabetes epidemic plaguing NT communities
16/06/22 SBS News: Type two diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the Northern Territory with children as young as four diagnosed with the condition. It’s the biggest killer in remote communities – where the rates are some of the highest in the world – and getting worse.
Listen at: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/video/type-two-diabetes-epidemic-plaguing-nt-communities/beqoxz2dd
Once a milestone for progress, native title today is the ‘least worst’ recognition of our rights
11/06/22 National Indigenous Times: Panel discussion hosted by the Piddington Society on the history of native title on the 30th Anniversary of Mabo.
Whilst it may be celebrated by some, the truth is that native title does not empower the traditional custodians of the land but rather it envelopes them in a framework and legal process that can take decades to prove a traditional connection. Taken to an extreme view, native title is yet another law designed to constrain Indigenous people and continue to regulate the use and custom of Indigenous lands.
Rocked by a spate of suicides, Shepparton’s Aboriginal community is using culture to turn the tide
06/06/22 National Indigenous Times: It began in October 2021 when a group of Shepparton’s First Nations community members came together in a backyard to figure out how to change the situation on youth suicide rates in town. “We had a cuppa and said, ‘what are we going to do about this?’,” Yorta Yorta woman and founding member of Dunguludja Dana Jean Miller said. “Our kids have been exposed to way too much trauma here, and something needs to be done.”
Shepparton is home to the largest Aboriginal community and one of the highest rates of suicide in regional Victoria. Jean Miller said last year the community experienced about seven suicides by youth in just two months. This is when Dunguludja Dana was formed with a purpose to change the numbers.
Steer clear of Indigenous politics and trust verbal deals: business owner’s steps to being an ally
10/06/22 National Indigenous Times: A Geraldton business owner has outlined his key steps to becoming a good Indigenous ally in a forum address canvassing contracts, trust and Indigenous politics which had the crowd in stitches. Craig Patterson grew Centrals Earthmoving from the ground up in the Mid West and has always held a mantra of employing Indigenous people spurred by experiences he witnessed growing up.
Deciding to make a difference in Aboriginal communities in remote Australia
WE’RE WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE ELDERS OF JILKMINGGAN NT, TO RAISE FUNDING & AWARENESS FROM PEOPLE DECIDING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. EVERY CENT WILL BE USED TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE, CULTURALLY SUITABLE HOUSING FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
Help make a difference today. This single act of kindness can change a person’s life forever. Watch this video to see how.
http://www.decidingtomakeadifference.org/#video
For further information: http://www.decidingtomakeadifference.org/
WA, QLD’s feet-dragging on Stolen Generations compo casts shadow over entire country
03/06/22 National Indigenous Times: Why is it that a survivor of the Stolen Generations in Victoria can access up to $100,000 in redress, yet in Western Australia a survivor still can’t get a cent? As we come to the end of yet another Reconciliation Action Week this is question that still casts a big shadow over the progress our nation is making.
Right across the country, every single state or territory government has implemented a redress scheme to recognise and compensate the Stolen Generation. Every government that is, except for WA and Queensland.
Rising prices, rental market racism creating a ‘path to homelessness’ for Aboriginal people
03/06/22 National Indigenous Times: Moorditj Koort Aboriginal Corporation board secretariat officer Robyn Withnell told the inquiry into the financial administration of homelessness services in Western Australia a new group of homeless people was being created by racism and the tightening rental market. “A group of Aboriginal employed people who were successfully renting in private accommodation and had been doing so for many years, Ms Withnell said.
Greater action needed on Indigenous employment: report
30/05/22 PRObono Australia: The Woort Koorliny Australian Indigenous Employment Index, released last Monday ahead of National Reconciliation Week, showed that more than half of Indigenous employees feel that they can’t practice their cultural identity at work without facing discrimination or ridicule.
https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2022/05/greater-action-needed-on-indigenous-employment-report/
Indigenous sisters’ dreams come true with Myrrdah label launch, Vogue feature, and Fashion Week plans
10/05/22 ABC: Being on the cover of Vogue magazine has always been the dream for Kalkadoon sisters Dale Bruce, Cheryl Perez, Glenda McCulloch and Jaunita Doyle.
Tennant Creek high school students push each other to graduate, learn agricultural skills along the way
29/04/22 ABC: As Joshaviah “Jojo” Johnson walks towards a saddled horse in the middle of the round yard, he grins as he reaches out to pat the patchwork gelding.
How a teacher’s love of cycling and a nation-wide call for donations started Yarralin’s first bike club
29/04/22 ABC: Barefoot with helmets strapped tight, speeding past ageing houses and along dusty red tracks, dodging stray dogs and potholes, the kids revel in cheers from the sidelines.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-29/yarralin-northern-territory-transformed-by-bikes/101012080
Rheumatic heart disease strategy launched in Queensland as more people get sick in large centres
28/04/22 ABC: Lynette Bullio’s son Jalil was just seven years old when he found out he would need painful injections each month until at least his 21st birthday.
The Indigenous-led program rethinking education
30/03/22 ProBono News: A program centering First Nations languages, cultural connection, experiences and history is launching, in a move organisers say will help address systemic issues standing in the way of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ success.
Looking beyond the statistics of closing the gap
28/03/22 ProBono News: Following the release of the 13th annual Close the Gap report, we speak to the CEO of the Lowitja Institute, Professor Janine Mohamed, about the need for governments to embrace genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to close the gap in health outcomes.
Out of sight
19/03/22 ABC: In the crowded homes of the Northern Territory’s remote communities, residents are trying to keep their hopes of a better future alive.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-19/remote-housing-homelands-funding-nt-covid/100683370
Cabbage Tree Island families say emergency housing denied due to racism
15/03/22 SBS NITV: Families in desperate need of accommodation after the devastating northern NSW floods say they have been denied housing because they are Aboriginal. Around 190 people from the First Nations community of Cabbage Tree Island in the Northern Rivers are now homeless, with the majority of those being 18 years old or younger.
Indigenous businesses join forces to feed communities hit hard by NSW floods
11/02/22 ABC: Indigenous businesses in Sydney are rushing food and supplies to some of the 36,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people impacted by flooding in NSW, including many who have lost their homes still have no access to power or food.
The women who needed urgent surgery but got Panadol instead
07/03/22 ABC: It’s a disease that was all but eradicated in white Australia decades ago, but in remote towns like Doomadgee, in Queensland, people are dying from rheumatic heart disease without the care they need.
CEO Secrets: Mikaela Jade of Indigital shares her advice
02/03/22 BBC Business: Mikaela Jade, founder and CEO of Indigital, Australia’s first Indigenous Ed-tech company, shares her advice. Ms Jade was a park ranger in Australia when she hit upon an idea. Use the latest immersive technologies to bring stories about the history of Indigenous people to life.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-60523038
‘Historic’ deal to help NT Traditional Owners latch on to business at sea
25/02/22 National Indigenous Times: The Northern Land Council has reached a major milestone in the historic Blue Mud Bay settlement with incorporation of the Aboriginal Sea Company last Friday.
https://nit.com.au/historic-deal-to-help-nt-traditional-owners-latch-on-to-business-at-sea/
Aboriginal barber Tyrone Murray opens first black-owned business in home town Murgon
22/02/22 ABC: Almost one-fifth of the South Burnett town of Murgon’s population is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, but it’s taken until now for an Indigenous-owned business to set up on the main street. “It really is about time,” Cherbourg Mayor Elvie Sandow said.
Calls for COVID quarantine centre closer to Aboriginal communities as Omicron spreads ‘like a bushfire’
18/02/22 ABC: Justina Blacksmith and her one-year-old daughter Nyeisha were the first in their household to fall sick with COVID-19 early this month.
Premier determined to deliver better outcomes for Indigenous people
05/02/22 SMH: Perrottet had a long and little known interest in Indigenous issues – having travelled several times to remote Aboriginal communities as a young adult where he volunteered with students – and was keen to drastically improve what he saw as years of failure from successive governments in the portfolio.
Aboriginal activist, Jedda actor and human rights campaigner Rosalie Kunoth-Monks has died aged 85
27/01/22 ABC News: The Arrernte and Anmatjerre woman — who was born in Utopia, north of Alice Springs — was well known as an outspoken advocate for Indigenous people. Her passion for improving the lives of Aboriginal Australians saw her become a political adviser, a shire president, an environmental campaigner, an interpreter and a political candidate.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-27/nt-aboriginal-activist-rosalie-kunoth-monks-dies/100784500
Canada reaches $44 billion agreement to reform Indigenous child welfare system
05/01/22 SBS: Canada has announced principle agreements totalling $43.5 billion ($40 billion CAD) to compensate First Nations children who were taken from their families and put into the welfare system, a major step toward reconciliation with the country’s Indigenous people.
Calls for culturally safe practices to protect Indigenous Victorian homeless
29/12/21 SBS: More culturally safe practices should be implemented to improve the housing services provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, a review of the sector in Victoria has said.
Researchers find First Nations’ water rights are decreasing
20/12/21 National Indigneous Times: Griffith University researchers have found that 12 months on from Australia’s first study of Indigenous water rights holdings in the Murray Darling Basin, holdings have reduced by 24 megalitres/year.
https://nit.com.au/researchers-find-first-nations-water-rights-are-decreasing/
NT’s peak Aboriginal Health body hits out at border reopening over Covid 19 fears
20/12/21 SBS: The Northern Territory’s peak Aboriginal health group says the housing crisis could exacerbate coronavirus case numbers, as borders reopened to the rest of Australia on Monday.
Remote Indigenous housing unable to withstand warming climate, report finds
6/11/2021 SBS: Indigenous housing in regional and remote communities in Australia will suffer the impacts of climate change earlier and more disproportionately than most urban Australian settings, new research reveals.
‘A farce’: Federal education minister’s views on draft curriculum slammed
22/10/21 SBS: First Nations education bodies say they’re “disappointed” by Alan Tudge’s comments on the draft national curriculum, which he says presents a “negative view of history”.
New Greens senator Dorinda Cox becomes fifth Indigenous woman in parliament: and she wants to be a ‘beacon’ for others
19/10/21 ABC: Disillusioned and burnt out at just 25, Dorinda Cox faxed off her resignation letter to the Kalgoorlie police station, giving up on a career she’d poured herself into.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-19/dorinda-cox-greens-indigenous-senator/100547734
In an outback town with a dark past, steps are being taken towards reconciliation
16/10/21 ABC: In a region where historic racial tensions were high, pastoralists and First Nations people are forging a brighter path towards reconciliation.
Indigenous health leader concerned over COVID-19 vaccination gap as nation reopens
14/10/21 SBS: The head of Australia’s peak health group for Indigenous Australians has “significant concerns” about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people being exposed to COVID-19 as the nation begins to reopen.
How does racism impact on mental wellbeing?
10/10/21 ABC: “Racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed.”In 2016, Will Smith made this statement on a US talk show. After the death of African-American George Floyd in the United States, the clip and the sentiment behind it, was circulated widely.
“Voices Of” ignites 30 independent movements across Australia
25/09/21 MichaelWestMedia: The “Voices Of” movement is gathering steam as more than 30 independent groups seek to field candidates at the next Federal election, capitalising on rising disaffection with political corruption and failure on climate change. Kim Wingerei on the new force for political disruption.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/voices-of-ignites-30-independent-movements-across-australia/
Remembering the day the Australian Freedom Ride made history at Moree pool
20/09/21 ABC: “The police came up and warned us that if we stayed, the violence would get much worse. We decided to stay, continuing to insist on being allowed to enter the pool with the Aboriginal children. Tomatoes and eggs continued to be thrown.”
https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/remembering-the-day-the-moree-pool-became-a-part-of-history/11531506
A program to produce more Aboriginal psychologists has its first graduate
10/09/21 SBS: A program to increase the number of Aboriginal psychologists in Australia has produced its first graduate; a palawa woman from Tasmania who plans to work with young people at risk of suicide.
For the first time, an AFL finals match will be broadcast in Yolngu Matha right from the stadium
05/09/21 ABC Darwin
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTTWVTih6CM/?utm_medium=share_sheet
Close the Gap speech, Anthony Albanese MP, 5th August 2021, video link
Close the Gap speech, Anthony Albanese MP, 5th August 2021: The Hansard
Tears of joy and pain as NT Stolen Generation survivors react to news of compensation
06/08/21 ABC: When news broke that Prime Minister Scott Morrison had promised a multi-million dollar compensation scheme for Stolen Generations survivors in Australian territories, 79-year-old Hal Hart thought of his mother.