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Culture is Life

Connecting and Belonging

‘Culture is life deepens connections and belonging by backing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led solutions to prevent youth suicide and to support young people to thrive.’

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Feb 13

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“When I was little with the elders, I was taught a lot, going into the orphanage was the complete opposite, you're constantly being punished for doing or being anything Indigenous, so it was confusing and confronting."

Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti, Bundjalung Custodian and Artist, Lauren Jarrett, was 9 years old when she was taken from her loving family and placed in an orphanage for 9 years. Lauren says through sharing her story and reconnecting with her culture, she has found tremendous healing.

Today marks the 13th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. May we continue to listen to the stories of our stolen generation survivors, honour their courage, learn from our past and respect the healing power of culture.

"We were just playing doing our own thing, we hadn't seen very many cars then, even though people owned cars we lived in a little country town and it was unusual for one to be coming down the track. We ran inside to hide, but were forced to come out and that was the day we were taken. The adults were powerless. I heard later that Mum had a nervous breakdown. We were taken to Grafton and made official made wards of the state and placed in Cowper Orphanage. It was a surreal experience for me because it was the first time I'd seen nuns and I thought I'd landed on another planet because in those days they had the big dresses and habits, and the big crosses and it was an alien world, It was very difficult. You were very much alone and had to build inner strength. It was a world of rules and regulations and discipline. The orphanage staff worked hard to break our link to our Bundjalung-Gumbayngirr-Dunghutti culture. By the time I was let out of the orphanage I was a proper little white girl. When I did catch up with my family I felt like a stranger and that I didn't fit in. I knew that the healing I needed was cultural and that's all brought me back to me and I feel like now I belong to this land” #nationalapology #stolengenerations #truthtelling @miimiandjiinda

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Jan 25

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‘To all the mob out there, continue doing what you're doing. Understand that you are powerful and understand that although you may feel that what you're doing is insignificant, it's significant to the highest degree. You have a lot of young followers watching you. So continue making your moves and continue doing you.’

Phillip Murray (Philly), WembaWemba

#cultureislife #singingourfuture #Jan26 #firstnations #youngpeople

🖤 @phillytheaboriginal
📸 @jalaruphotography

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Jan 24

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‘Jan 26 marks the day that the first fleet began the killing of our mob. They saw them as savages and animals. In the constitution, it even classified them as flora and fauna of Australia. I think that’s really sad and something we shouldn’t celebrate.’

Chloe Bethune, Watjarri/Martu.

#cultureislife #singingourfuture #jan26 #firstnations #youngpeople

📷 @jalaruphotography

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Jan 23

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‘It is so important to be able to have our young people's voices heard, because we are the movers and shakers. We are the ones that are going to be creating the change and implementing the change when we are in positions of power.’

Douglas Briggs, Yorta Yorta/Wurundjeri

#cultureislife #singingourfuture #jan26 #firstnations #youngpeople

🖤 @douglasemmanuel
📷 @jalaruphotography

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Jan 22

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‘When Jan 26 rolls around, I always feel this deep sense of grief and anger. I also feel a lot of pride and a lot of love for my people and the resilience of our Elders and our young people who continue the fight, continue the struggle to expose to a wider Australia to what this day really means to our people.

It's this feeling of deep hurt that I think has stretched back a lot of generations before me and on a lot of our young people.’

Maya Hodge, Lardil/Yangkaal

#cultureislife #singingourfuture #jan26 #firstnations #youngpeople

🖤 @hijumba
📷 @jalaruphotography

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Jan 21

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‘Jan 26 is significant because it's a day when everything got taken away from us. Our land, our people, genocide, our rights, our culture got taken away from us. And it wasn’t thousands of years ago, it was recent. For Australia to celebrate on this day, I would say it's disrespectful.’

Terrell Jones, Wemba Wemba

#cultureislife #singingourfuture #jan26 #firstnations #youngpeople

🖤 @terrell_the_t_man
🎥 @jalaruphotography

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Jan 20

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‘Jan 26 is such a meaningful day for our mob, for our culture. As I got older and really understood what the day was about, it brought a lot of sadness to me, my family, my community. I think on this date, we need to be together as a mob and be one.

And even though I know it's a hard day, I’m hopeful for where it's going to go and what we are going to stand for in the future as one mob.’

Madi Colville- Walker, Yorta Yorta

#cultureislife #singingourfuture #jan26 #firstnations #youngpeople

🖤 @madicolville_
📷 @jalaruphotography

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Jan 10

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Aboriginal Spirituality is the foundation of our culture and community. May we move through this week with the Power, Focus and Discipline of WAA the Crow, the moiety ancestor and protector of the Kulin Nations.

Repost from Culture is Life CEO @belinda.duarte.777 📸 StevoGraffix #kulinnation #moietyancestor #boonwurrung #woiwurrung #ancestralcrow #protector #waa #ancestralprotection

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Dec 31

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Dec 14

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Dec 10

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Congratulations to all the Finalists 👏🏼👏🏿👏🏻👏🏽#blackexcellence2020 @dreamtimeawards

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Dec 6

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Good Morning Deadly Mob 😘 Have a beautiful week and remember we are always surrounded and guided by our ancestors in all their different forms ❤️ #cultureislife #ancestralguidance #culturalconnectedness #totemspirit #culture #firstnationspeople

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Culture Is Life @cultureislife·

27 Jan

What is your vision for this Nation in 2030?

The #SingingOurFuture Campaign highlights our education work and our emerging artists music program with @archieroach and @barpirdhila.
#cultureislife #singingourfuture #jan26 #firstnations #youngpeople

Culture Is Life Blog

Aboriginal Teachers deliver professional educational development for SEDA

Culture is Life collaborates with SEDA to provide Indigenous curriculum professional development training to their staff and teachers nationally.

The Australian Dream education resources

“I am really excited to see The Australian Dream go out to community and schools and continue the conversation we need to have on the key themes; cultural identity, racism, history & truths, resilience & reconciliation...” Adam Goodes.

International Women’s Day 2020

Today we acknowledge the contribution of the women we have worked with and those that have created change to address the inequality experienced by women across the world.

A poem titled ‘Earth Mother’ written today by ‘Miimi and Jiinda’

A poem titled 'Earth Mother' written today by 'Miimi and Jiinda' - Gumbaynggirr Elder Lauren Jarrett and her Daughter - Culture is Life's National Project Manager - Melissa Greenwood. Earth Burning Mother.

Cairns – Uluru First Nations Youth Summit

This past weekend I was invited to spend 3 days with over 50 young First Nations leaders, descendant from so many Nations across these lands. We were welcomed by the Gunggandji people on their country in Cairns at the Uluru First Nations Youth Summit.

Yawuru Young Ambassadors Cultural Exchange

For five days, five other Aboriginal young people and I attended an intensive Cultural Exchange in Aotearoa. For the five days, our cohort of Indigenous youth were immersed in the culture of the Maori people of the South Island; learning language, sharing in customs and building friendships that will last long into the future.

Uncle Archie Roach Stolen Generations Education Resources

When the truth of our history is told, we can all walk together. Are we ready?

Culture is Life

Connecting and Belonging

‘Culture is life deepens connections and belonging by backing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led solutions to prevent youth suicide and to support young people to thrive.’

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