July 2024

Quote

“The land is my mother. Like a human mother, the land gives us protection, enjoyment, and provides our needs – economic, social, and religious. We have a human relationship with the land: Mother, daughter, son. When the land is taken from us or destroyed, we feel hurt because we belong to the land, and we are part of it.”

Useful Fact

Behind every Indigenous statistic there is a child, a family, and a community story. Australia's First Peoples are thought to be the longest living culture in the world. Theirs is a story of connection to land, sea and winds to songlines and stories across nations and generations. 

It is this culture with strengths grounded in resilience and generations of knowledge sharing that offers the opportunity to build a better future. 

The deep history of colonisation and dispossession has had disastrous effects on generations of Indigenous communities. 

The Seedling Group is committed to working with Indigenous communities on projects to build capacity and hope - by the people for the people.

Their book Cultural Safety in Trauma Informed Practice from a First Nations Perspective provides an accessible resource for conducting culturally safe and trauma-informed practice with First Nations' peoples in Australia. Designed by and for Australian Indigenous peoples, it explores psychological trauma and healing, and the clinical and cultural implications of the impacts of colonization, through an Indigenous lens. It is a companion for anyone who works or will work with our families and communities.

Instagram Highlight

Surfboard winner announced💥

🎉Congratulations Jordan!🎉

Jordan said "𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦!" and we 100% agree!
🌊🌞
Thanks again to @saltwaterdreamtime for this beautiful piece
🏄‍♀️❤️🖤💛

👉Check out previous board winners.

Follow us on Instagram to access posts like this one!

Enter the 2024 surfboard competition. Deets here!

Campaign & Events

From the outside, it appears to onlookers be a typical city bus – one wrapped in breath-taking Aboriginal artwork. But step inside and you’ll quickly find that this bus takes you on a journey that is anything but typical. The bus – a Mobile Education Centre conceptualised and built by the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC) in partnership with the bus operator, CDC NSW – is part of the not-for-profit’s unique survivor-led approach to reconciliation and healing.

Affectionately nicknamed “Benny”, the bus provides a unique interactive space and experience for people to learn about the Stolen Generations and their connection to the Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home – a ‘home’ run for over 50 years from 1924-1970 to house Aboriginal boys forcibly removed from their families.

Featuring part of the original wrought-iron gate from the Kinchela Boys Home, the Mobile Education Centre contains an interior exhibition that records the moving and often difficult memories and stories of its Stolen Generations survivors in a powerful historical record. The back half of the bus has been converted into a cinema with an audio-visual system and seats to show an animated film about the realities of life growing up at Kinchela Boys Home.

Know Your Websites

WellMob brings together online resources made by and for Aboriginal & Torres Straits Islander peoples. Here you will find websites, apps, podcasts, videos, helplines, social media and online programs all with a focus on social and emotional well-being.

WellMob is for all front line health and well-being workers, including; community health and well-being workers, mental health workers, family support and education and youth services.

Workers can feel confident to share any online well-being resources they find with their clients and customers. There are also training resources to support your work in the community, and resources to help you look after yourselves.

WellMob is a safe online place for our communities to access all kinds of digital well-being resources.

Who are?

Djirra is a place where culture is shared and celebrated, and where practical support is available to all Aboriginal women and particularly to Aboriginal people who are currently experiencing family violence or have in the past.

As most of their contact is with women, the work they do is predominantly designed by and for Aboriginal women.

They are an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCHO) governed by an Aboriginal Board of Directors who are elected by their members.

Djirra is the Woiwurrung word for the reed used by Wurundjeri women for basket weaving. Traditionally, when women gathered to weave, important talks took place and problems were solved.

Djirra symbolises Aboriginal women today, still coming together to share stories, support each other and find solutions.

On the Blog

Aboriginal Comedy, Condoms & Surfboards

In the spirit of NAIDOC and celebrating successful Aboriginal-led programs, we would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Take Blaktion.

Take Blaktion is NSW Health’s flagship sexual health promotion program for Aboriginal people.

The Take Blaktion program uses comedy sketch videos featuring high-profile Aboriginal ambassadors to engage Aboriginal young people with culturally appropriate sexual health messaging.

Comedy has a long history within Aboriginal media and Take Blaktion leverages uniquely Aboriginal humour to circumvent shame associated with sexual health. 

Take Blaktion is a great resource for individual’s, communities, families and workers too.

Read the whole blog.

Resource

Leah Manaema

The following resource is by Leah Manaema Avene (she/them). Leah is a mother, musician, therapist, broadcaster, facilitator, researcher and educator. Leah’s bloodlines have been shaped by the Pacific Ocean and the islands of Tuvalu through her father’s line and the landscapes of Ireland through her mother’s. Leah was raised on unceded Kulin Nations lands along the coastline of Waddawurrung / Wathaurong Country (South coast of Victoria). Leah’s work focuses on nurturing the strengths of culture, ancestry, land, body, community and deeply shared values to transform harmful power dynamics in bodies, relationships and systems.

Relational Cheat Codes for Community Care

A ‘cheat code’ is a term used in gaming meaning access to a shortcut, a special power, protection or to access advanced levels. ‘Relational cheat codes’ are a way of giving each other short cuts to communal strength and safety. In communities of resistance, we can prepare ourselves for the fatigue, frustration and distress that is an inevitable part of our work together. Making time to share our relational cheat codes with each other, is a loving investment in the relational space in and around community.

Sharing relational cheat codes means that we are giving people permission in advance to respond to us in supportive ways that we have preemptively asked for. This doesn’t guarantee peace, but it does help us become more aware of our humanity and how we might respond to the humanity of others.

Nurture

Let people around you know what grounds you, nourishes you and keeps you steady.

Can you high five / hype me when you notice that I....

Please encourage me to ....

Remind me that I am ....

Caution

Let people around you know some early warning signs of fatigue, burn out or dysregulation...

If I’m not eating please remind me...

If you notice I’m stuck on my phone can you interrupt me by....

Interrupt

Give trusted people permission to lovingly interrupt if you lose your patience or are lost in distress or reactivity.

If I’ve lost my way can you remind me of this story from my grandmother?

In my language this phrase means ‘ENOUGH!’ can you please say this to me if I’ve gone too far?

I can’t really hear or talk when I’ve lost my temper.. If you notice I’m in that state, can you bring me a cup of ice water and take me somewhere quiet?

Can you read me this note-to-self if I’m letting my routine go?

See more of Leah’s work at Co Culture Communication: land-based approaches to anti-oppressive strategy, cross-cultural communication and relational design.

Diary Dates

Our exciting line up of guests for On The Couch in 2024 includes;

Dr Tessa Opie from In Your Skin with Kerrin Bradfield, Laura Crozier from Youth Affairs Council of Victoria and Rachel Wotton with Mohammed Samrah & Josef Garrington from ACON.

Register and get your free tickets to be in the live online audience for On The Couch episodes HERE.

Watch or listen to previous On The Couch episodes HERE.

Complete free modules about sexual & reproductive health in your own time.