Aboriginal Australians Archives

$Man addressing anti-fracking rally in the Northern Territory, Australia wearing a tshirt that says 'Ban fracking Protect Country' with the logo SEED$

Community Mapping

What is community mapping? Learn from organisers that have used the community mapping model to empower their own communities.

black and white image of Aboriginal activists with a sign saying Always as Always will be our land

The battle for Aboriginal heritage on Perth’s foreshore 30 years on

Thirty years ago from January 2019 Noongar activists set up a protest camp at Gooninup, the site of the derelict Old Swan Brewery on Perth’s foreshore. This marked the beginning of a four-year long struggle to secure recognition of an Aboriginal sacred site.

inside a room set up to help with occupy sandy relief. lots of boxes with food and people

Radically Re-Imagining the World as our Climate Changes

Alex Kelly gives a powerful speech about seeing the opportunities and how the arts can help to remake, to reimagine and to redefine our world.

Gary Foley leaning on a tower of publications

Performing Political History: An interview with Gary Foley

An interview with Professor Gary Foley about using creative practice to bring attention to the political challenges facing Aboriginal people in Australia.

Sign Language: The story of the Jabiluka symbol

The artist’s story of how the Stop Jabiluka hand symbol was designed and developed and grew to become a symbol for the anti-nuclear movement.

TED talk: Black women – Tipping the balance | Michelle Deshong | TEDxJCUCairns

Many Indigenous women posses the qualities that have made a huge impact on civil & Indigenous rights in Australia, these same qualities give Indigenous women a unique perspective that enables them to tip the balance & provide genuine political leadership.

How to inspire a young activist? A collection of books for kids and teens

An inspiring collection of stories about activism and social justice for children and teenagers mostly collated by Melbourne independent bookstore Readings.

Cover of Original Power's Building Power Guide - features a drawing of a turtle in red.

The Building Power Guide

The Building Power guide is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who want to change the world. It includes several training resources to build capacity for campaigning, such as explorations of change-making, power, strategy and leadership development.

Advice for pro-Indigenous white activists in Australia

These four short videos, two featuring Gary Foley and two featuring Robbie Thorpe, are essential viewing for non-Indigenous people seeking to act in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Uncle Kevin Buzzacott stands in front of a large banner depicting a black hand against a red and yellow nuclear symbol.

Interview with Kevin Buzzacott

Kevin Buzzacott is a key figure in the opposition to the South Australian Olympic Dam mine and the nuclear industry in general. In this interview he outlines a number of the creative actions he has taken part in as part of a series of campaigns addressing the issues of dispossession and Aboriginal sovereignty.

Cover of Clare Land's Decolonizing Solidarity: Dilemmas and Directions for Supporters of Indigenous Struggles

Decolonizing Solidarity Bookclub

Decolonizing Solidarity is a book by Clare Land which offers directions (and knotty dilemmas) to people seeking to support Indigenous Struggles. This article includes suggested guidelines for book clubs discussing Decolonizing Solidarity which are also beneficial for other groups doing anti-oppression and ally work.

Black and white photograph of four protestors standing in front of Old Parliament House. Placards read 'Land Ownership Not Lease', 'Land Rights or Else!', 'Why Pay to Use Our Own Land', 'Which Do You Choose: Land Rights or Bloodshed?'. 'Legally This is Our Land. We Shall Take It If Need Be'.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established in 1972 when the Coalition Government failed to recognise the land rights of Indigenous people. From its inception, the Embassy has been interwoven into Canberra’s physical and political landscape, blending black politics, symbolism and theatre that opponents have found difficult to counter.

Black and white photograph of protestors standing next to bus.

The Freedom Ride

The Freedom Ride through western New South Wales towns in February 1965 drew attention to the racism in these towns. Aboriginal student Charles Perkins was, by the end of the journey, a national figure in the fight for Aboriginal rights.

Walmadan Booklet Cover featuring shells, turtles, james price point

Camp Walmadan Booklet

The struggle to protect James Price Point was a multi-faceted, organic campaign, fuelled by creativity, ingenuity and a fierce sense of independence and justice. The Camp Walmadan booklet gives an insight into a recent successful community campaign. It also provides a great overview of the kinds of issues to consider when organising a large scale direct action convergence.

Photograph of River Red Gum trees submerged in water.

Victorian red gum forests: A historic victory

A comprehensive case study of the successful campaign to protect Victorian Red Gum Forests. Includes the history of the Barmah-Millewa Campaign, its goals and results. Given the historic outcomes of the campaign it is worth examining how such an effective green-black alliance emerged in south-eastern Australia.

Photograph of protestors at the Jabiluka blockade in 1998. Features banners with 'Uranium, Leave it in the Ground'. The march is led by Mirarr elders and Peter Garrett.

Jabiluka Fight for Country

In 2005 the Mirarr succeeded in halting the development of the proposed Jabiluka mine. It was the culmination of an extraordinary decade-long campaign which saw people across Australia and the world stand up and support Mirarr in their opposition to uranium mining on their land.

Stop Jabiluka, Stop Uranium Mining, Reclaim the Future. Symbol of a hand print on background of a nuclear symbol.

Stop Jabiluka Mine Handbook

Stop Jabiluka Mine handbook gives a fascinating insight into an important part of Australian social movement history as well as an overview of the kinds of issues to consider when organising a large scale direct action convergence. Over 500 people were arrested in the course of an eight-month blockade at Jabiluka in 1998.

Introduction to Original Power: Building the power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

Original Power is a small community-focused organisation that aims to build the power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through collective action. This pitch as part of the Australian Progress Fellowship provides an introduction to the Original Power project and the context it operates in.

Campaigning to Solve Our Issues

This is an introduction to campaigning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Campaigning involves activating, mobilising, and organising people to make change and influence others to make change. This is an excerpt from Building Power: A Guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Who Want to Change the World.

Making a Positive Change: Training guide

This is a training process guide to identify local stories, people, experiences, values, skills and knowledge that have made a contribution to positive change in the local community. It is an excerpt from Building Power: A Guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Who Want to Change the World.

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