First Nations First

The national group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children has received dedicated funding for the first time in a federal budget, in a move welcomed by its CEO, Catherine Liddle.

The national group representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children has welcomed a 10-year national plan to deliver better early childhood outcomes.

The founder of the First Nation’s music group “ Stiff Gins”, Nardi Simpson, is directing a cross cultural Choir in Sydney called Barayagal. It's a place where First Nations and non-Indigenous Australians gather to sing in the Gamilaraay and Yuwaalaraay languages. The choir is making songs inspired by culture, supported by musicians from the Sydney University Conservatorium of Music who are partici...

Australian Olympic athletes have received a major financial boost ahead of the Paris Games in July. The Australian Olympic Committee has announced three incentives to increase funding for athletes, with specific targets for First Nations competitors.

Reconciliation Australia and the University of New South Wales have produced a new collaborative report called 'Coming to Terms with the Past', which identifies the barriers and enablers to truth-telling and the strategies to promote historical acceptance. Uncle Garry Matthews is a proud older Gadigal man who has been advocating for truth-telling for decades. He has spoken with Youssef Saudie.

A new report has identified barriers to effective truth-telling between First Nations and non-Indigenous people. The research by University of New South Wales and Reconciliation Australia has sparked calls on further action from local councils and government departments to better their truth-telling processes.

More than 250 years after they were first taken, four spears, stolen by Captain James Cook and his crew after they arrived at Botany Bay, have been repatriated to their traditional owners. Representatives of the La Perouse Aboriginal Community traveled to Cambridge University in England where the artifacts, known as the ‘Gweagal Spears’ had been kept since 1771. It follows a 30-year campaign to se...

A flu outbreak in a Far North Queensland Indigenous community has put the issue of housing in the spotlight. The outbreak has also prompted a vaccination drive in the town of Yarrabah.

Indigenous-led businesses and traders are having a growing impact on the nation’s economy, a new snapshot has shown. Their growing impact doesn't just extend to monetary value, but also more opportunity and self determination for Indigenous people.

The Alice Springs youth curfew has come to an end with the town's mayor and the Northern Territory chief minister praising it as a success. The measure was aimed at addressing a recent surge in violent crime in the Central Australian town. However, some First Nations residents and lawyers have criticised the extreme measure calling it a band-aid solution at best.

When Geoff Anderson suffered a horrific work accident, he fell into a deep depression. Then one day he received a knock on the door that would change his life, leading him to discover his Indigenous heritage language and gain a new perspective on life. In this episode Hannah Kwon chats to Geoff Anderson about his journey from suffering a mental health breakdown to eventually turning his life aroun...

Archaeologists have discovered ancient Indigenous artifacts on an island off Cape York, challenging the long held notion that Indigenous Australians did not make pottery. The discovery of 82 pieces of Indigenous pottery on Jiigurru is the earliest ever identified in Australia, and provides a glimpse into just how far back the craftsmanship and innovation of Australia's Traditional Owners really st...

Lung and cervical cancer are in the spotlight at a global First Nations health conference underway in Naarm, Melbourne. The World Indigenous Cancer Conference aims to foster better working relationships and collaboration between experts from across the globe.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in South Australia are voting to elect the first state Voice to Parliament in the country. Last March the state legislated a model for an Indigenous voice to parliament, ahead of the national referendum on a voice to Federal Parliament. So how will it work and why do the candidates think it will be a good thing for communities?

Who will raise the iconic glass microphone trophy at this year's 2024 Eurovision song contest? Australia are in with a chance, with the country's pick for this year's competition announced as South Australian duo, Electric Fields. But the competition is making news for other reasons, too, with Israel's public broadcaster agreeing to revise the lyrics of its potential submission to Eurovision.

New data shows an Indigenous-led model of maternity care is reducing rates of child removal at birth from Indigenous mothers. It comes as a Productivity Commission report has highlighted the failure of government to reduce the issues of out-of-home care for Indigenous children.

The power of music to change our mood and evoke memories is well known. In this episode of Change Agents we look at a project that is exploring the role music plays in healing and improving health outcomes in Indigenous communities.

Remote Northern Territory communities in West Arnhem Land are calling for a Senate Inquiry into telecommunications companies operating in the bush. It follows a recent 3G Telstra outage that lasted for several weeks, with disastrous consequences.

The Australian Medical Association is calling on the federal government to allow prisoners access to Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. In a submission to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, the AMA outlines what it calls 'inequitable healthcare for people in custody'. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are warned this story includes references to a person wh...

In this episode of Living Loss, we explore one of the world's oldest civilisations, looking at the complex and diverse ways First Nations Australians navigate grief. We look at the intersection of intergenerational trauma and grief, as well as discover the ancient rituals and sanctity around death in Aboriginal Australian communities.

The Queensland University of Technology has announced plans to open Australia's first faculty dedicated to First nations wisdom. The Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Cultures will operate as a stand-alone unit alongside others such as Engineering and Law .. and will deliver academic programs and conduct research.

A new report has called for a shake-up of the criminal justice system to reduce the rate of re-offending. It says jail isn't working, and more community-based support services are needed.

First Nations artists and performers from across the country have joined forces to unpack Australia's history of colonisation in song. It's the first time Jane Harrison's award-winning story 'The Visitors' has been turned into an opera, with hopes it will help foster understanding and reconciliation.

Indigenous "Yes" campaigners have spoken out against what they call the "shameful" October 14 referendum result, which saw 60.69% vote "No" to questions on enshrining in the Constitution an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. They've sent a letter - that hasn't been signed by individuals - criticising misinformation, inadequate support from the federal Opposition, and the media's handling of the campa...

The prime minister and his government have been criticised over the failed referendum for an Indigenous Voice as parliament resumes. But politicians from both major parties are pledging a renewed focus on closing the Indigenous disadvantage gap.