It is hard to put into words our disappointment with last week’s referendum. This shameful result reinforces the echoes of "Terra Nullius", a message that our Indigenous Peoples have heard repeated since Australia was first colonised. Instead of taking a small step toward some kind of healing, Australia has once again rubbed salt in old wounds.
As saddened as we are over the No vote, we cannot come close to understanding the pain and disappointed caused to those directly affected by this result. At the end of the ‘week of silence’, we have selected the five works below; all gallery proceeds will be donated to these two charities: The Streets Movement and Tranby. Links to both indigenous owned and operated organisations providing support for First Nations people can be found below. We urge you to contribute however you can.
The Streets Movement is an Indigenous community development organisation which provides programs, pathways and opportunities for the disconnected, forgotten and wayward, helping them re-engage with opportunity, education and community.
The Streets Movement works across three continents, building opportunity for youth through education, pathways and empowerment. All our programs and initiatives are designed to create positive pathways, build capacity and opportunity for those whom need it most. All are underpinned by the primary desire to develop strong, connected and proactive communities, with the ethos of “fighting today for a better tomorrow”.
Not a fight with fists, but a fight of mentality, determination and the will to build ourselves and our communities. A fight to make a difference, by being strong forces for change and being an example of that which we wish to see in our world.
Tranby
Tranby is a space for Mob to gather, share stories, and gain further skills and knowledge through community programs, events and accredited training. Our campus spans past, present and future, from the historic buildings, through architect designed facilities that reflect the flow of water, to virtual training spaces.
Our people have lived on the Australian continent for at least 65,000 years, and for more than 65 years, Tranby has been a place of community connection, Aboriginal-controlled education and social action for Indigenous peoples. We are Australia’s oldest independent Indigenous education provider.
As an Aboriginal-led Co-operative, our community is involved in everything we do, and guides how and why we do things. Since 1957 we’ve provided life changing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, supporting them to find their power through education.
