First Nations First

An Indigenous-led data project is creating its own measures of wellbeing to strengthen self-determination and advocacy. In Roebourne, a predominantly Aboriginal community of fewer than 1,000 people on Ngarluma country in Western Australia's Pilbara, a community-led data project is challenging who gets to define wellbeing. Yindjibarndi woman Aralyn Lockyer explains how Indigenous data sovereignty,...

Roebourne’s community-led programs tackle food insecurity while residents push for broader long-term change. In the remote Pilbara town of Roebourne, community-run programs are helping residents access affordable food, find employment and stay connected to culture. But as food insecurity, supply chain challenges and concerns about mining impacts persist, locals ask whether these initiatives can go...

Newly released national survey data provides a clearer picture of the health and wellbeing outcomes for the Stolen Generations survivors and descendants. The data released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare also shows there are an estimated 200,000 Stolen Generations descendants aged 18 years and over. Half of descendants live with a disability or restrictive long-term condition and...

The theme at this year's Garma festival is Bukmak, which means everyone in Yolngu language — an expression of unity and a celebration of the diversity of modern Australia. And it was the tragic death of one five-year-old little girl, Kumanjayi Little Baby in April that has become a powerful symbol of what's possible when a community comes together.

The Garma Festival is underway in northeast Arnhem Land, with the four-day event showcasing traditional Yolŋu art, song, dance and storytelling. Hosted by the Yothu Yindi Foundation, this year’s festival is expected to attract about two-thousand guests, including Australia’s most famous blue heeler, Bluey.

The Garma Festival is on this weekend. running until Monday, with delegates from around the country attending the major First Nations cultural event in north-east Arnhem Land. It's Australia's largest Indigenous cultural gathering and thousands of people are in attendance at Gulkula. The theme for 2026 is Bukmak, which means 'everyone'. In the Yolŋu Matha language, Garma refers to a two-way learni...

The annual Garma Festival kicks off today on Yolŋu Country in northeast Arnhem Land. It's Australia's largest Indigenous cultural gathering, and a key forum for conversations about social, political and environmental issues affecting First Nations people. The theme this year is Bukmak, which means 'everyone'.

Reforms to the Northern Territory child protection system have sparked alarm and warnings the move could contribute to another Stolen Generation. Experts say the new laws weaken the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, which is intended to keep kids connected to family, country and culture. The NT government argues the reforms are necessary to put safety first.

A WARNING THAT THIS INTERVIEW CONTAINS REFERENCES TO AN INDIGENOUS PERSON WHO HAS DIED Respected Aboriginal writer, activist and filmmaker Richard Frankland has delivered this year’s Elder in Residence Oration, an annual talk which invites reflection on First Nations issues. The Gunditjmara man has previously served in the Army and worked with the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody...

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are being held across Australia this week to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year's theme is 'Fifty Years of Deadly', celebrating more than five decades of NAIDOC Week. NAIDOC Week runs from the 5th to the 12th of July. The Committee members say the milestone offers a chance to ho...

Traditional owners in Far North Queensland have come together with scientists for the first time to help tackle threats against human-induced climate change. The inaugural conference with leaders from seventeen different Torres Strait Islands is helping shape Australia's next State of Environment Report due in December this year. Reporter Josh van Staden travelled to Thursday Island with support f...

Community led events are being held across the country to mark National Reconciliation Week, which runs from May 27 to Jun 03. This year's theme is 'All In' - a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation, and to advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's rights.

Almost three decades on from the landmark Bringing Them Home report on Stolen Generations, the government has implemented just six per cent of recommendations. This National Sorry Day, advocates are calling for government action to better support survivors and their families.

The impacts of the Stolen Generation policies on families were detailed publicly for the first time in the landmark 'Bringing Them Home' report 29 years ago, following a national inquiry that featured the testimonies of more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Many recommendations from the report on redress and support for survivors still remain unimplemented. The Healing Found...

First Nations Australians who have lived experience of incarceration in Victoria are showcasing their work through an art exhibition. The exhibition, highlighting the artists' voices, has proved the ripple effect - where one event can cause a series of bigger effects - for some to take a new path beyond prison.

The Northern Territory justice system is under fresh scrutiny amid allegations people are being held in overcrowded cells for long periods of time without adequate healthcare in a Darwin correctional facility. A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections has said in a statement that the Darwin Transitional Custody Centre accommodates prisoners for a maximum of four weeks. They said prisoners u...

Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man Travis Lovett is now well into his 800 kilometre walk from Melbourne to Canberra. The former Yoorrook Justice Commissioner is leading the five-week long 'Walk for Truth' to call on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to establish a National Truth Telling Process. SBS reporter Angelica Waite spoke with Mr Lovett when he was in Seymour, about 150 kilometres into his journey.

WARNING Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story includes the name and image of an Indigenous person who has passed away. THIS STORY MAY BE DISTRESSING FOR SOME LISTENERS. The desperate search for a five-year-old missing in the Northern Territory has ended in tragedy. Police believe they've found the girl's body. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro says the entire North...

[[WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should exercise caution when listening to this audio as it contains names and images of deceased persons, which may cause distress to members of these communities.]] Since the First World War, Indigenous men and women have served in Australia's defence forces, despite the government's refusal to recognise their rights. NITV Radio's Kerri-Lee...

A trailblazer of Australia's arts and cultural landscape, Aunty Rhoda Roberts has been laid to rest on Country in her hometown of Lismore. Hundreds gathered to honour a life dedicated to the arts and elevating Indigenous voices.

The latest report on Closing the Gap Targets, released last month, found just four of nineteen targets are on track. Among those targets Australia is failing to meet, the country is moving backward when it comes to reducing suicide rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which are now more than three times higher than for non-Indigenous Australians. First Nations health advocates a...

The latest report on Closing the Gap Targets, released last month, found just four of the nineteen targets are on track. Among those targets Australia is failing to meet, the country is moving backward when it comes to reducing suicide rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people , which are now more than three times higher than for non-Indigenous Australians. First Nations health advoca...

Tributes are being made to SBS Elder-in-residence and Widjabul Wia-bal woman, Auntie Rhoda Roberts, who has died at the age of 66. Her short battle with a very rare type of ovarian cancer ended on Saturday afternoon on her country surrounded by family. The decorated writer, actor and director was awarded an Order of Australia in 2016 for her service to performing arts and immense impact on and off...

New data from the Productivity Commission reveals that the national effort to Close the Gap is failing. As the 2031 deadline looms, Indigenous leaders and advocates are calling for an urgent shift away from "band-aid" government strategies toward genuine community-led action and structural reform.

A First Nations advocate and activist for incarcerated women says the social contract between the Australian government and the community is broken. Tahlia Isaac, who founded 'Project:herSelf', says authorities are more interested in punishment than providing the conditions to keep people safe. She says the system needs to change and the government needs to start listening to women who have real i...