Koorie Club News

**WARNING: THIS NEWSLETTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE INFORMATION AND NAMES OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIED**

Nation Wide News:

Rising Leaders: Students Step Up to Protect Aboriginal Cultural Heritage. Fifteen students studying a Certificate IV in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management had the chance to showcase their skills to the Minister for Treaty and First Peoples, Natalie Hutchins, during her recent visit.

These future leaders demonstrated how they investigate and preserve Aboriginal cultural sites, including identifying ancient stone tools. The course is nationally accredited and has already helped over 260 First Nations students graduate since 2010, with almost 90% going on to work in the heritage sector. La Trobe University, which delivers the course alongside Traditional Owners and experts, says the program blends traditional knowledge with classroom learning and hands-on experience out on Country. Minister Hutchins praised the students, saying:“Victoria’s Aboriginal Cultural Heritage is one of the oldest living cultures on Earth. We’re proud to support the next generation of cultural heritage leaders.”Graduates have gone on to work with Registered Aboriginal Parties and continue their studies in archaeology. The course plays a vital role in protecting Aboriginal cultural sites under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006, just like historic buildings are protected across Victoria.

Farmer Found Guilty of Damaging Sacred Aboriginal Site. A Victorian farmer has been convicted after destroying a 1,500-year-old Aboriginal site on his property near Lake Bolac. In 2021, Adrian McMaster used an excavator to move stones from a 300-metre-long rock arrangement known as the Kuyang Ceremonial Ground, which holds deep significance for the Djap Wurrung people. Despite being warned by a heritage advisor to stop, McMaster continued removing the rocks, later claiming he thought they were just in the way of a weed sprayer. In court, he said, “A rock’s a rock,” and argued he didn’t realise the formation had cultural importance. The Magistrate disagreed, citing McMaster’s mining background and past exposure to Indigenous heritage sites. He was sentenced to a good behaviour bond and ordered to donate $7,000 to help preserve the site. The case highlights the importance of respecting Aboriginal heritage, which is protected by law just like other historic landmarks in Victoria.

Fighting for Fair Access: Edwina’s Mission to Support Diabetes Care in Remote Communities. Edwina Murphy, a 22-year-old student from the Indigenous community of Rockhole near Katherine, is doing everything she can to support her family and community, while also battling her own chronic illness. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at just 15, Edwina now looks after her two younger brothers, who also have the disease. Their mother, also diabetic, is often away receiving treatment in Darwin. For years, Edwina used painful finger-prick tests to manage her condition. But last year, she started using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a device that tracks blood sugar in real-time on your phone.

“It takes the worry out of my life,” Edwina says. “I can see exactly what’s happening with my sugar levels.” While CGMs are subsidised for people with type 1 diabetes, they’re not currently covered for most people with type 2, despite costing up to $2,700 a year. That’s a huge barrier for people living in regional and remote areas like Edwina.

She now works as a Youth Diabetes Peer Support Facilitator, helping others in her community learn how to manage their condition. She also gave evidence in a government inquiry, calling for fairer access to CGMs.More than 300 days have passed since the inquiry’s report recommended funding CGMs for people with type 2 diabetes, and Edwina is still waiting for change. “I do it for the community,” she says. “It’s so important that young people know how to manage diabetes. So many of us need support.”

Noongar advocates make powerful plea at UN about murdered and missing Indigenous women. Proud Noongar sisters Amber Ugle-Hayward and Lily Hayward spoke at the UN in New York to highlight the crisis of missing and murdered First Nations women in Australia. Amber shared alarming statistics, such as Indigenous women being 32 times more likely to be hospitalised due to family violence. She said the justice system continues to fail Aboriginal women and called on governments to support Aboriginal-led frontline services.

Lily told the story of her missing aunt, Rebecca Hayward, who disappeared in 2017 near Alice Springs and has never been found. She criticised the police response and said justice has still not been delivered. Both women urged the UN and the Albanese government to uphold Indigenous rights under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.A Senate inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and children has made recommendations, but the women said more action is needed.

Didge ya know?

In 1946, a significant moment in Australian history occurred in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the Pilbara Strike, a stand led by Aboriginal workers demanding better wages and working conditions. The workers, mostly from the local Yindjibarndi, Bunjima, and Nyangumarta peoples, were employed in the pastoral industry, often under harsh conditions and earning little to no money for their labour. Instead, they were paid in rations, which barely met their needs.

The strike began in March 1946 at the Yandanooka and Pilbara stations, marking a pivotal moment in the fight for Aboriginal rights and fair wages. The workers stood together to demand equal pay and an end to the exploitative conditions they had been subjected to for years. The strike lasted for several months, with workers refusing to return to their jobs and actively protesting the unjust treatment.

The Pilbara Strike is often remembered as a key moment in the Aboriginal civil rights movement. The protest had wide-reaching effects, challenging the government and pastoralists. Although the full demands of the strikers weren’t immediately met, the strike was a turning point that highlighted the exploitation of Aboriginal workers, leading to changes in legislation and eventually, better pay and improved working conditions for Aboriginal Australians.

This anniversary reminds us of the ongoing struggles for Indigenous rights and justice, and the bravery of those who fought for equality despite the hardships they faced.

Rachel Aden (Koorie Group Leader) – ADE0010@sthelena.vic.edu.au

For any other support needed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples please visit: https://headspace.org.au/yarn-safe/