This week is Reconciliation Week. The theme for 2023 is Be a Voice for Generations, which encourages all Australians - both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people - to use their power, words and actions to help make Australia a more equitable place to live.
If you feel a bit unsure about how to best engage with Reconciliation Week, then some great first steps are to listen, learn, amplify Indigenous voices, and support Indigenous makers and creators.
We've compiled a list of our top recommendations of art, media and places to learn, that are created by or led by Aboriginal people (or at the very least, focus on the experience of First Nations people).
Whatever stage you're at on your journey of learning about Australia's true history and working towards reconciliation, we hope this list helps guide you on your way.
Listen
Acquaint yourselves with these incredible First Nations artists.
Bumpy
With her rich, soulful voice and delicate finger-picked electric guitar, Nyoongar musician Bumpy creates music that will transport you.
Aodhan
Irresistibly catchy hooks and guitar riffs. Aodhan's music sounds how nostalgia feels.
Alice Skye
Vulnerable and quietly powerful, Wergaia woman Alice Skye creates songs that are like a glimpse into her diary. Another tune we love is 'Grand Ideas'.
Allara
Equipped with just her double bass, a loop pedal and her voice, Yorta Yorta storyteller Allara creates a haunting soundscape over which she recites powerful spoken word encompassing themes of decolonisation and justice for Aboriginal people.
Want to support these musicians further? Follow them on socials, purchase a ticket to their next show or buy their merch.
Watch
The Australian Wars (Documentary)
A must-watch, this docuseries tells the stories of the Australian frontier wars - violent conflicts that took place on Australian soil as the British colonisers sought to occupy the land and Aboriginal people pushed back.
Redfern Now (Drama)
A drama series that takes you on a journey into the lives of Indigenous families who live in Redfern, Sydney.
The Sapphires (Feel Good Music Film)
Inspired by a true story and set in 1968, this film tells the story of four talented Aboriginal women singers who perform for the US troops during the Vietnam War.
In My Blood it Runs (Documentary)
This documentary follows 10-year-old Arrernte Aboriginal boy Dujuan and his family as he grows up in Alice Springs.
Learn
Wurundjeri Walking Tour
Led by local Aboriginal people, take a walk through the beautiful Dandenong Ranges and learn about Victoria's rich Aboriginal history and have the privilege of soaking up some Aboriginal cultural knowledge.
Coranderrk
Located in the Yarra Valley on Wurunderji land, Coranderrk was an Aboriginal reserve that was established in in 1863. The site was originally chosen as a new home by Aboriginal people from numerous Kulin clans who had been displaced from their lands by the settlers. Watch the video below to learn more about this important part of Victoria's history.
Learn more about Coranderrk on their website.
News and Media
News and current affairs through a First Nations lens, these are the best places to get your information.
Read: National Indigenous Times
Watch: NITV
Read
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia
Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe
Bruce Pascoe challenges the narrative that Aboriginal people were traditionally hunter-gatherers, and provides compelling evidence that indicates the traditional owners practiced farming techniques like sowing, harvesting, irrigation and storing foods.
My Tidda, My Sister
True stories of strength and resilience told by Aboriginal women.
Mullumbimby by Melissa Lucashenko
A story about romantic love, told with a dose of dark humour. This gorgeous novel is set in the Byron Bay hinterlands and follows the story of a recently divorced Aboriginal woman who decides on a tree change with her teenage daughter.
Art
Enrich your home with these beautiful Indigenous Art pieces. The artists receive monthly royalties for their art.
Andrea Mimpitja Adamson Artwork
About the design:
The sisters created the landscape as they tried to escape from Wati Nyiru. They created a rock hole which went under the ground and came up on the other side of the hill. The women dived into the water then flew up into the sky. Wati Nyiru followed them . Now, Wati Nyiru can be seen to the south of the seven sisters (the Pleiades), as he still chases them across the sky.
Samuel Miller Artwork
About the Artwork
Ngayuku Ngura means ‘My Place’. Samuel uses an extensive palette of colours to paint the country surrounding Kalka and Pipalyatjara. His paintings feature the various land formatons from that area – rockholes, creeks and hills. His land is a sacred men’s rockhole, so sacred that the name is not allowed to be written down or spoken about.
Murdie Morris Artwork
About the artist:
Murdie Morris is part of the Warlukurlangu Artists, an organisation that is 100% Aboriginal-owned by its artists from the remote desert communities of Yuendumu and Nyirripi in Central Australia. Warlukurlangu Artists is famous for its gloriously colourful acrylic paintings and this pink and orange piece is no exception.
