Embed Indigenous wisdom

Support First Nations justice and self-determination

Support First Nations justice and self-determination by buying from First Nations led businesses and supporting campaigns and organisations.

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Photo by Luke Currie Richardson (@balaluke)

While the 2023 campaign to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Australian constitution was unsuccessful, there is solace to be found in the enormous grass roots community building that took place - both during, and for many years, in the lead up - which has resulted in an increased awareness of First Nations sovereignty and calls for treaty and truth-telling. Recognition goes to all of the First Nations leaders and community members on both sides who have worked tirelessly to bring about positive change.

As allies, we have an incredible opportunity to help drive the positive momentum forward, and create lasting change with the wave of collective support that has been built around this campaign. We must continue to have the important conversations, listen to and amplify the voices of First Nations peoples, buy from First Nations led businesses, and get behind social justice campaigns and organisations.

We’ve started a list that we will be continuing to add to.

If you know of any other groups or resources that should be added here, please share your ideas!

Raise the Age

Australia has one of the lowest ages of criminal responsibility in the world. In Australia, a 10 year old can be imprisoned. In just one year, almost 600 children ages 10-13 years old were locked away in Australia, with thousands more being hauled through the criminal legal system. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Islander children are disproportionately impacted.

On the 1st of December 2023, all Australian Federal, State and Territory Attorneys-General are coming together to discuss their plans to address the minimum age of criminal responsibility. Support the #RaisetheAge Week of Action and tell Attorneys-General that we demand they raise the age to at least 14 years urgently and get the youngest children out of prison.

Engage with Treaty

State level treaties (ANTAR)

A treaty is a legally binding agreement between two or more parties, usually states or sovereign powers. They are necessary to recognise historic wrongs and provide an opportunity to recast the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. With the defeat of the 2023 referendum, state based treaties now present themselves as a strong potential next step.

At state and territory level, a number of Treaty processes have begun in Australia. Victoria now has a First Nations Peoples’ Assembly and Queensland has signed a ‘Tracks to Treaty’ commitment. New South Wales has allocated budget to treaty consultations. Treaty developments have not begun in Western Australia.

Support First Nations led businesses

Supply Nation

Supply Nation is a directory of Indigenous led businesses in Australia. Since 2009, Supply Nation has worked to foster connections between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and procurement teams from government and corporate. They also develop procurement policies that modify and redirect spend to include the traditionally under-utilised Indigenous business sector. You can use their website to find indigenous owned businesses to partner with and source from.

Clothing the Gaps

Clothing The Gaps is a Victorian Aboriginal led and operated, and majority Aboriginal owned social enterprise, co-founded by Laura Thompson (Gunditjmara) and Sarah Sheridan (non-Indigenous). Their business plan involves using the business as a vehicle for Indigenous self-determination through profit, efforts and resources supporting and helping to fund the work of the Clothing The Gaps Foundation.

First Nations led organisations

Uprising of the People

Uprising of the People is a small Kulumbirigin Danggalaba owned and run non-for-profit organisation based on Kulumbirigin Country (Darwin, NT). The organisation aims to heal, nurture, build & rebuild relationships between Country, Elders and Young People. They collaborate and create with local grassroots organisations to build a network of services and programs for Aboriginal communities to thrive, that community building is the heart of their work.

Deadly Science

Deadly Science was started by Corey Tutt and is a not-for-profit organisation that provides STEM resources and learning experiences to regional and remote schools in Australia and connects young Indigenous people with STEM professionals. With the intention of creating a new generation of First Nations scientists, Deadly Science sends teachers STEM resources and delivers programs to ensure regional and remote schools have access to all the resources they need to create effective STEM learning experiences.

  • Donate to support their work or, if you have access to greater resources through your work, you might be interested in partnering with Deadly Science to increase their impact.

ID. Know Yourself

ID. Know Yourself (IDKY) is an Aboriginal-led, grassroots organisation that supports Aboriginal children living in out-of-home care and within the child protection system and advocates for social change to break the cycle and create better outcomes for our young people.

They are based on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, supporting young people in the Greater Sydney region. IDKY supports children impacted by cultural dispossession, systematic disadvantage and complex trauma by providing a group program and mentoring service centred around love, hope and belonging. They also do advocacy work with families, schools, carers and potential employers that aims to provide young people with the tools to make empowered choices.

  • Support IDKY including donating, volunteering, and corporate partnerships.

Yalari

Yalari provides Indigenous children from regional and remote communities across Australia the opportunity to receive a full boarding school scholarship for their entire secondary education. In 2023, they have over 249 students on Yalari scholarships nationally. They also have an alumni group of over 480 studying at universities, working or undertaking further training. They ultimately aim to create more education opportunities for successive generations of Indigenous children.

  • Support Yalari’s work either as an individual or through your work with donations, sponsorships, and workplace giving.

TalkBlack

TalkBlack is an online platform made by GetUp’s First Nations Justice Team. With a podcast, website, videos, and innovative chatbots the platform is dedicated to reclaiming Australia’s shared history, truth-telling, and building people-power to fight back.

First Nations Futures

First Nations Futures was established to respond to the economic barriers that First Nations community-driven initiatives face within funding systems. They are on a path to collectively build a new First Nations-led funding platform which challenges traditional funding systems; calls in the responsibility of all people living in Australia to redistribute wealth; and forges new pathways to support and resource First Nations community-driven initiatives creating intergenerational change.

  • Support the development of this funding platform by donating here.

Pay the Rent

 Pay The Rent program is a not-for-profit organisation organised by First Nations and non-First Nations people working together as the Pay The Rent Grassroots Collective. The model enables funds to be contributed by individuals directly to grassroots causes and campaigns with a focus on protecting First Nations rights, including practical support such as sustaining a Funeral Fund.

You can also learn more about investing in First Nations leadership here.

Supporting First Nations self determination and grassroots organisations is part of a larger collective response. Learn more and find other actions about embedding Indigenous wisdom here.

Know of any other groups or resources that should be here? Share your ideas.