Topic

First Nations Resources

Commitment to justice for Indigenous people, understanding of history and knowledge of present struggles are core competencies for Australian change makers. Many of the resources in this topic have been developed particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander campaigners. These and other resources will also be beneficial to people acting in solidarity.

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 or printed material.

Australian Aboriginal person with two white ochre handprints on their back with red dots.

An Unsettling Decision: A Legal and Social History of Native Title and the Mabo Decision

Research report by the Australian Parliamentary Library about the Legal and Social History of Native Title and the Mabo Decision.

screenshot of tweet from Twitter. Text reads ‘This case has made legal history’: young Australians just won a human rights case against an enormous coal mine

‘This case has made legal history’: Young Australians just won a human rights case against an enormous coal mine

Read about this successful legal case in 2022 where for the first time human rights arguments were used in a climate change case in Australia.

Aboriginal Change Makers: Stories of Aboriginal Self-determination and Empowerment

Stories and event about the role of Aboriginal Change Makers in the fight for equality and a more just society for all of us.

Change Makers (Text on orange background)

Changemaker Chat with Tyson Yunkaporta: Indigenous Thinking

Tyson Yunkaporta discusses Indigenous thinking on power, change, being and coping with chaos.

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.

Photograph of a report with the title 'Passing the Message Stick'

Passing the Message Stick: A Guide for Changing the Story on Self-Determination and Justice

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.

Protesters against the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL Pipeline hold a sit-in in the street next to the San Francisco Federal Building. The sign at the front says 'People over pipelines'.

How defeating Keystone XL built a bolder, savvier climate movement

From frontline battles to large national mobilizations, tar sands resistance developed new tactics and organizing strategies for the larger climate struggles ahead. This article was originally published on Waging Nonviolence. Keystone XL pipeline permit rescinded When President Biden rescinded a crucial permit for the Keystone XL pipeline last week (20 January 2021), it marked the culmination […]