First Nations First

Thousands of Indigenous households across northern Australia live with prepaid power, where disconnection can happen at any moment. Now a new report has warned that without stronger protections, the system could turn deadly in extreme heat. SBS’s Christopher Tan travelled to the Kimberley to see what life is like when power is a privilege, not a guarantee.

Traditional owners in far north Queensland are calling for an iconic saltwater crocodile to be returned to country. The croc, named 'Old Faithful', featured in the Crocodile Hunter series alongside the late Steve Irwin - but he's been re-homed far from his natural habitat following concerns over aggressive behaviour.

State and territory governments in Australia will face scrutiny as part of a parliamentary inquiry on the outcomes and impacts of youth incarceration. The over-incarceration of First Nations children will also be a key focus.

A not for profit organisation says almost half of Indigenous communities living cut off from the world face extinction within the decade due to logging, mining and tourism. Survival International says they want the world - especially governments and industries - to recognise and address the problem as a global emergency.

Victoria's First Nations community is celebrating a historic milestone - legislation to establish the first treaty in Australia's history passed through state parliament on Thursday night. It's expected to enter force by the end of the year, after an official signing ceremony and royal assent from Victoria's governor, in the culmination of a whole decade of negotiations. The legislation establishe...

After almost a decade of activism and community efforts, Victoria has passed Australia's first ever treaty legislation establishing a permanent Indigenous representative body in the state parliament. The landmark agreement between the Victorian Government and the First People's Assembly of Victoria marks a historic step towards recognising and reckoning with Victoria's violent colonial history.

The Western Australian Governor has apologised for his predecessor's role in a state-led violent attack against Noongar men, women and children almost 200 years ago, known as the Pinjarra massacre. Descendants of the Bindjareb Noongar people received the long-awaited apology saying it is a meaningful step towards reconciliation.

Anangu traditional owners have marked 40 years since Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park was handed back to their people. The handback was a landmark moment for Aboriginal land rights in Australia and a powerful recognition of the enduring connection between First Nations peoples and Country. The official celebrations have included a trip to London for a delegation of nine Anangu traditional owners, wh...

Diwali is the biggest festival in India and many South Asian countries, marking the victory of good over evil and the triumph of light over darkness. It is celebrated by more than a billion people around the world, including diaspora communities in Australia.

The Victorian Government is debating a historic Statewide Treaty Bill, establishing Australia's first ever Treaty agreement between a state government and First Peoples in Victoria. If signed into law, the Treaty Bill will forge a path forward for First Peoples in Victoria to negotiate and influence the policy that affects community.

A new report is calling for a national database on miscarriage to address ongoing invisibility around miscarriage and early pregnancy loss in Australia, particularly for First Nations women and in rural and regional communities. This comes as the government announced a $9.5 million funding package in May last year to improve awareness and support for early pregnancy loss.

Nearly two years after the failed referendum saw a First Nations voice to parliament shot down, some NGOs and state governments have been taking the initiative to follow the wishes of the majority of Indigenous communities in Australia who voted for this special representation. Australia's principal non-government organisation for public health, the Public Health Association of Australia, has anno...

This weekend will see the largest annual gathering of Indigenous people in the country at the New South Wales Koori knockout rugby league tournament. It's a sporting competition... but also, so much more.

The Public Health Association of Australia has announced they will be establishing an Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander voice to help guide their work after a near unanimous vote by their members. Nearly two years after the failed referendum saw a First Nations voice to parliament shot down, NGOs like the PHAA and state governments have chosen to follow the wishes of the majority of Indigenous...

A group of young First Nations men and women have blazed their way through a training program for firefighter hopefuls. The initiative is a partnership between TAFE and the New South Wales Fire Service - to help young Indigenous people get into their dream job.

South Australia's algal bloom continues to spread, leading to significant environmental, ecological and mental health harm. Those impacts have been heard at a Senate inquiry examining support arrangements for those affected, but also long-term prevention strategies.

The Northern Territory has been engulfed by significant backlash regarding the sentencing of a driver who fatally struck an Aboriginal man in a hit and run and his familial connection to the Territory's Attorney General. First Nations communities and legal experts argue the sentence given to Jake Danby, a 12-month community corrections order, is inconsistent with the 'tough on crime' approach of t...

In Western Australia's Wheatbelt, a region long shaped by industrial farming practices, a new model of regenerative agriculture is taking root. At Yaraguia farm, Ballardong Noongar man Oral McGuire is healing Country, reconnecting First Nations knowledge of caring for Country with modern land management to restore ecosystems and produce food that benefits both the land and the community.

Politicians are warning against the risks of extremism and political violence, after rival rallies were held in Australia's capital cities and regional centres.

An Aboriginal gathering place and burial ground was attacked in Melbourne on Sunday by participants in the city's anti-immigration rallies. Police are investigating the incident, which witnesses say involved self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell and up to 100 others. The incident has been condemned by political leaders, with Senator Lidia Thorpe calling for a federal inquiry.

This week marks the 50th anniversary since the Gurindji land handback, an historic turning point for Aboriginal land rights in Australia. Fifty years on, people from all over Australia have gathered for the Gurindji Freedom Day Festival to celebrate the anniversary of the land hand-back, and remember the iconic events of the 1966 Wave Hill Walk Off.

Surrounded by the stringybark forest of Northeast Arnhem Land, a group of Yolngu cultural educators are passing on knowledge of bush medicine to a new wave of First Nations doctors. The remote placement, formed in partnership with Flinders University, explores traditional healing methods, while building cultural awareness in modern practices.

Around Australia, some educational and fun workshops for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are aiming to contribute to an inclusive and diverse future science and technology workforce. Victoria’s largest health service and an Indigenous-owned organisation are helping to guide students from an Aboriginal high school to meaningful STEM related career pathways.

An art exhibition in Melbourne is showcasing the work of three Aboriginal sisters in a collection entitled 'Connected Through Country'. Artists Amunda, Grace and Myra Gorey own their own art collective called No Fixed Gallery, which is dedicated to celebrating 65,000 years of Arrernte culture through contemporary art. In this episode of Weekend One on One, Biwa Kwan spoke with Amunda Gorey about t...

The very first Garma Festival was held just before the turn of the millennium in 1999, led by the late Yunupingu. But the mission of its founders remains: to be a cross-cultural meeting of leaders to discuss improving standards of living for all First Nations people. And a warning - this feature contains the voice of someone who has died.