Movements_Campaigns - Indigenous Peoples_First Nations rights

close up of Australian Aboriginal flag being carried by protestors

First Nations Resources: Start Here

A guide to First Nations campaigning and activist resources in the Commons Social Change Library including stories and perspectives.

Black and white photograph of a sign that reads: 'GURINDJI Mining Lease and Cattle Station'.

Australian Aboriginal workers strike for fair wages and equality, 1946-1949

Indigenous pastoral workers in the Kimberley region of Western Australia struck for equal wages and full civil rights in the late 1940s.

Passing the Message Stick

The words we use matter! The Passing the Message Stick report gathers research and recommendations about the messages that work to promote First Nations justice. Read an excerpt, watch the briefing session, and download the full report.

Indigenous Gurindji win Land Rights in Australia (Wave Hill Walk Off) 1966-1975

The Gurindji of Wave Hill Station (Northern Territory) protested by a walkout against low wages, leading to the land rights movement.

The flag of the Torres Strait Islands. It features a white Dhari (traditional headdress), with a five-pointed white star beneath it. The background is dark blue, with green stripes at the top and bottom of the flag.

Torres Strait soldiers stage stay at home strikes, 1943

Torres Strait Islander soldiers strike to end discrimination in the army during World War Two.

Torres Strait Islanders hold maritime strike against pearling industry, 1936

Torres Strait Islanders refused work in the Native Affairs pearling fleet due to racial discrimination and held a maritime strike in 1936.

Black and white photograph of protestors standing next to bus.

University of Sydney students uncover and protest discrimination of Aboriginal people in New South Wales, 1965

Torres Strait Islander soldiers strike to end discrimination in the army during World War Two.

Protest poster - Aboriginal Australians in protest holding a sign that says No mining on sacred land. The wording on the poster says We, The People of Noonkanbah call for support.

Noonkanbah 1979: When Unionists Stood up for Aboriginal Rights

The Noonkanbah dispute was an important chapter in both the struggle for Australian Aboriginal rights and union solidarity in the 1970s-80s.

Australian Aboriginal hand painting in cave in Sydney

Aboriginal Memoirs as Social Activism

Telling your own story is powerful! This article includes excerpts from papers related to Aboriginal memoir, links to four memoirs by Aboriginal Australians, and where to find more. Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices or names of deceased persons in photographs, film, audio recordings […]

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.

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.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Timeline of Resistance

The Timeline of Resistance was produced by Original Power as a training aid for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities as well as allies aiming to work in solidarity. The timeline summarises a history of campaigning and organising since invasion.

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