Aboriginal Way

Last week, Aboriginal Way sat down with South Australia's first Aboriginal Attorney-General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the Honourable Kyam Maher. We found out more about his background and what has got him to where he is today, and asked him about pressing issues in the sector such as his plans for progress on the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Aboriginal Heritage Act.

Recently, Aboriginal Way took a trip to Warraparinga to drop into the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre, run by Southern Cultural Immersion. Warraparinga, meaning 'Windy Place' in Kaurna language, is a nature reserve in Bedford Park at Marion, and a site of cultural significance for the Kaurna people. It is associated with the Tjilbruke Dreaming story and the beginning of the Tjilbruke Trail. Southern...

"What I really like about largescale work is that it's a way of reminding non-Aboriginal people that we're still here and that our culture is still as important today as it has always been." Scott Rathman is the contemporary Aboriginal artist behind the name Rusted Tin, and a cultural learning consultant who integrates his heritage with modern-day stories through colourful, recognisable artworks o...

This year the AIATSIS Summit is being convened in partnership with Queensland South Native Title Services and hosted by the Kabi Kabi people. The annual Summit brings together Indigenous communities, native title stakeholders, academics, legal experts, and government departments to address the biggest issues facing traditional owners. CEO of Queensland South Native Title Services, Kevin Smith, spo...

Renmark High School is having great success with its new Ngarrindjeri language and culture class. We speak with the school's Aboriginal Officer, Ngintait Nganguruku Yankunytjatjara man Daniel Giles, about why it's working so well.

Did you know that a lot of schools across Australia are learning an Aboriginal language local to their area? We'll speak with one school that's having great success with its Aboriginal language program next week. But today we're starting at the beginning, by speaking with a South Australian university professor who helped develop the national framework for the use of languages in education, which...

A digital map will share sites in South Australia where colonial violence took place against Aboriginal people in the 1800s. University of Adelaide researcher, Dr Skye Krichauff, is working on the project called 'Reconciling with the Frontier' and shares more in this week's episode. Aboriginal people with any information about the colonial conflicts are encouraged to contact Dr Krichauff via arts....

Unlike most states, the South Australia Government does not fund Aboriginal rangers directly. Country Needs People started a petition to change this, calling on political parties in the SA election to support Indigenous land and sea management by funding Aboriginal rangers. Patrick O'Leary, Executive Director at Country Needs People, and Denise Wilton, from Land Management Coordinator at Nepabunna...

'Common Dissonance' is the only all-Indigenous circus performance at this year's Adelaide Fringe. Wakka Wakka person Harley Mann is the director of the show which highlights the co-existence of science and spirituality in Australia - a nation consisting of western and Indigenous ways of living and thinking. 'Common Dissonance' is on show at Gluttony from Feb 18 to March 6. Tix: https://adelaidefri...

February 13 is the anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations delivered by former prime minister Kevin Rudd in 2008. This year Reconciliation SA was forced to cancel their annual Reconciliation Breakfast, but they 'pivoted' and produced a commemorative film explains CEO Shona Reid. Watch the film at reconciliationsa.org.au.

RAWsa is a 100% Aboriginal-owned and managed company providing civil construction, traffic management, and cultural heritage services. The group was named the employer of the year 2021 by the Civil Contractors Federation SA for its sustainable and inclusive employment opportunities. We spoke to RAW Managing Director Allan Jones and and CEO Adam Latemore to find out more.

Natasha Wanganeen spoke to us about organising the Survival Day march at Tarntanyangga, the 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, and her take on the Australian government buying the copyright to the Aboriginal flag.

More than 100 Aboriginal remains stored at the South Australian Museum were reburied at Kaurna Wangayarta Smithfield Memorial Park this week. In the past, some remains were stolen by institutions, and others have been disturbed by the development of Adelaide. The SA Museum has apologised for its involvement and supported Kaurna elders in repatriating their old people to a final resting place. Hear...

A new service by the Department of Human Services (DHS) will connect Aboriginal people with limited English skills to interpreters who can translate important information from government departments. Executive Director of Community Support and Investment at DHS, Ruth Ambler, shares how the service works and why it will break down communication barriers for Aboriginal people living in South Austral...

Immersion is a 360-degree experience educating audiences about the significance of water to South Australia. Virtual reality technology allows you to step into locations from 50 million years ago, to see how Kaurna land has transitioned from rainforest to the Adelaide plains we know today. Immersion's director Nathan Bazley, and Kaurna cultural producer Jack Buckskin, joined Aboriginal Way to shar...

Since 2006, Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways Project has helped high school leavers from remote communities start their tertiary education journey. IYMP Adelaide supports young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples between the ages of 16 to 24 by providing housing and support to students while they study away from home. We caught up with IYMP Adelaide coordinator, Kevin Coleman, and IYMP...

Turkindi is a Kaurna word that means coming together and sharing information. For 21 years, the service has helped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples find meaningful employment and training opportunities. On November 9, Turkindi is holding an expo featuring service providers, which will be available to provide information about employment, education, housing, and health. Turkindi's chai...

April Lawrie was appointed South Australia's first Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in late 2018. Until now, the Mirning and Kokatha woman was working in partnership with the Children's Commissioner, but a change in legislation has given Ms Lawrie independent authority to investigate systemic issues facing young Aboriginal people. In this episode, the Commissioner reflects on...

Forty years on, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 remains unprecedented in Australian lands rights history. Initially called the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act, it gave traditional owners inalienable freehold title to their land in the far north-west of South Australia. Members of APY determine how the 103,000 square kilometres of land is managed by an executive board,...

A virtual reality film is helping people access Country from hundreds of kilometres away. The film is called Arabana Songlines and launched during Tarnanthi, the festival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, at a venue called The Lab. Director Colleen Strangways and videographer Vivian Wong spoke to Aboriginal Way about the production of Arabana Songlines and the power of virtual reality...

Welcome back to Aboriginal Way, brought to you by SA Native Title Services. Narungga and Kaurna man, Les Wanganeen won Kinship Carer of the Year at the inaugural SA Child Protection Awards after five years of caring for his grandson. Les shared his story with Aboriginal Way and has advice for prospective kinship carers.

Welcome back to Aboriginal Way, brought to you by South Australian Native Title Services. Only 80 years ago, the black-footed rock-wallaby, or warru, were swarming in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, but in 2007 they were South Australia's most endangered mammal. In 2021, a successful warru conservation program received an $8.3 million funding boost from the National Indigeno...

Welcome back to Aboriginal Way, brought to you by South Australian Native Title Services. Spring is the perfect time of year for Nature Festival with over 200 events happening in South Australia from September 25 to October 4. In this episode, Nature Festival director Ryan Hubbard shares the 2021 program including events led by the traditional owners of the land now known as South Australia. Check...

Welcome back to Aboriginal Way brought to you by South Australian Native Title Services. This week we speak to State Records Director Simon Froude, and State Library of South Australia Director Geoff Strempel, about a new Aboriginal Reference Group that will inform both institutions. People who identify as Aboriginal people and care about issues relating to libraries, archives, and records managem...

Welcome back to Aboriginal Way brought to you by South Australian Native Title Services. This week we speak to South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network convenor, Scott Wilson, about a new plan to Close the Gap in South Australia. The South Australian Closing the Gap Implementation Plan is supported by the South Australian Government and promises to make significant imp...