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29 April 2022

Meet the Brave Faces and Change-Makers this National Reconciliation Week

From the 27th of May until the 3rd of June, we will be celebrating National Reconciliation Week, with a focus on this year’s theme; “Be Brave, Make Change”. As an Aboriginal led not for profit with a vision for prosperous Indigenous communities, we have the privilege of working with a multitude of brave faces and change-makers every day. Many of these pioneers of change have dedicated their lives and careers to the continuation of First Nations cultures through sharing, celebration and education.

To kick off our Reconciliation Week celebrations, we’re sharing a bit about just a few of these many powerful people.

Meet Amanda Healy

Amanda Healy is from the Wonnarua Nation, Traditional Custodians of the Hunter Valley region in NSW. Through Amanda’s widely celebrated luxury resortwear, she showcases the vibrant artworks of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. These beautiful works of wearable art are more than just clothing; they are a stunning representation of First Nations cultures.

Amanda shared, “When we paint – whether it is on our bodies for ceremony or on bark or canvas for the market – we are not just painting for profit. We are painting as we have always done to demonstrate our continuing link with our country and the rights and responsibilities we have to it. Furthermore, we paint to show the rest of the world that we own this country, and that the land owns us.”

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Meet Clark Webb

Clark Webb is a proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man who has dedicated his life and career to sharing Gumbaynggirr culture and empowering those around him to learn and grow. Through Wajaana Yaam, Clark invites guests to adventure through pristine waterways atop stand up paddle boards with the direct descendants of the world’s first stand up paddlers and connect to land and sea through language and stories.

Clark shared “I wanted to combine my love for stand up paddling, with my love of my Gumbaynggirr culture in a safe environment, to be able to share with others the richness of our Country and culture.”

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Meet Kirsten Atkinson

Kirsten Atkinson is a proud Bangerang / Gunaikurnai woman and the talented creative behind Yingarna. The creation of Yingarna’s beautiful handmade, laser cut earrings arose as an opportunity for Kirsten to share her pride and culture while inviting others to celebrate First Nations cultures.

Kirsten shared “I wanted to give other Aboriginal people an outlet to purchase products that promoted our culture, that they could gift to others or dress their own children in, and I also wanted to encourage Non-Indigenous people to purchase my products and to be comfortable embracing our culture and sharing their love of Aboriginal culture with others.”

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Meet Bolo Angus

Bolo Angus is a Bardi-Jawi man from Western Australia’s Dampier Peninsula and the proud founder of Southern Cross Cultural Walk Lullumb. Throughout this three hour experience, Bolo invites guests to wander through the diverse landscape of Bardi-Jawi Country, witnessing mangroves, paperbark forests, salt plains, creeks and a sacred freshwater spring as Bolo highlights the significance of these spectacular environments. This incredible cultural experience allows Bolo to share and celebrate the practices and understandings passed down to him through generations and gives him the independence to support his family and community on Country.

Bolo shared, “I am proud to be doing what I’m doing, it gives me the opportunity to look after our family like our Ancestors did before us. Also Inspire other members of our tribe and show them we can do anything we put our minds to.”

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Meet Laura Thompson and Sarah Sheridan

Gunditjmara woman Laura Thompson, and Sarah Sheridan are the brave faces, change-makers and co-founders of the innovative social enterprise, Clothing the Gaps. What began as an initiative to improve health outcomes for First Nations people has evolved into a powerful clothing brand with a message and a mission. Among their many achievements, Laura and Sarah played a pivotal role in the recently successful Free the Flag movement, using clothing to share a powerful statement for positive change.

Sarah shared, “I want to see more of non-Indigenous Australia getting to feel connected to and supporting Aboriginal people and culture and history and being proud of that and walking alongside the Aboriginal communities everywhere they go.”

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Meet Aunty Margret Campbell

Dunghutti Elder Aunty Margret Campbell is a pioneer in the cultural tourism market, with more than 30 years of experience sharing her wealth of stories, knowledge and insights. Through Dreamtime Southern X, Aunty Margret travels through Gadigal Country in the iconic city of Sydney, shedding light on the Dreaming of this spectacular Country.

Central to Dreamtime Southern X is Aunty Margret’s desire to ensure that the world’s oldest continuous, living culture is shared, explored and respected by everyone. Throughout her career, Aunty Margret has been recognised as a brave face and change-maker, committed to sharing and educating others through her profound understanding of First Nations belief systems and connection to Country.

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Meet Juan Walker

Juan Walker is the owner and operator of Walkabout Cultural Adventures. Juan is a knowledgeable and respected changemaker who continually celebrates Kuku Yalanji culture by sharing his deep understandings and connection to Country with others. Juan invites all people to deepen their understandings of the spectacular Daintree Rainforest, learning directly from Traditional Custodians with unparalleled understandings of this beautiful and interconnected Country and culture.

Juan said that Walkabout Cultural Adventures “allows us to share our stories and our culture, it is a great feeling when we get to educate others not just about our peoples and culture, but about the land and how we see it.

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