It’s Time For Change campaign asks all Australians to have a think about how young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their families and friends feel about the nation celebrating Australia Day on January 26.

It’s time for change:

  • To consider the facts
  • To remember and understand our history
  • To think about the impact it has on our young people and their families
  • To connect and care for all Australians
  • To unite and celebrate our shared cultural lineage

“A country’s National Day exists in name only if it doesn’t include, respect and care for all its people. If it can’t honour these fundamental decencies to all citizens, it needs urgent review.” Belinda Duarte Wotjobaluk woman and CEO at Culture is Life

 

 

Culture is Life released Something On My Mind single and music video in January 2018 as part of IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE – a campaign that asks all Australians to have a think about how young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, their families and friends feel about the nation celebrating Australia Day on January 26.

Written by Nhunggabarra, Kooma, Muruwari singer-songwriter and international touring artist Glenn Skuthorpe in collaboration with Wemba Wemba, Mutti Mutti and Yorta Yorta woman Jedda Costa and Djugun man Louis Mokak and accompanied by Wergaia singer-songwriter Alice Skye, the song was produced by Katie Symes, engineered by Colin Wynne at Thirty Mills Studios and the music video was filmed at Aviary Studios in Collingwood by James Arneman of Sunlander Films.

The release of Something On My Mind has received high acclaim and significant radio play to include reaching number one on Canada’s Indigenous Music Countdown  and has been performed live at a number of high profile events to include Balit Narrun Festival in Treasury Gardens Melbourne VIC, at the 2nd National and World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference in Perth WA and at the 1st World Indigenous Music Conference at Folk Alliance International Montreal QC.

Something On My Mind also features in Thunderbox Films ‘Island Home’, an Australian short film encapsulating the pristine, natural beauty of our coastline, and featuring the activists who have been fighting the fossil fuel industry’s threat to our island-nation’s coastline.

Strategically timed for release four days prior to the 2019 Australian federal election, the story adds punch to the already powerful momentum of the Fight for the Bight, Stop Adani and Climate movements
that right now, are at the centre of our nation’s focus and critical to our shared futures on this planet.

@thunderboxfilmhouse @cultureislife @glennskuthorpemusic #somethingonmymind

Download bios for Something On My Mind

 

“I want to feel like I can celebrate Australia and the wonderful country I’m from, but I can’t when I’m excluded from that day that marks the beginning of a history of trauma.” Lalatuai Grogan, Kuku Yalanji and Tolai

#itstimeforchange #cultureislife

 

“I think we just need to take one step at a time, we need to stop, slow down for a bit and lead with our values, with our hearts at best interest. I think that’s the way forward.” Will Austin, Keerray Wurrung and Peek Wurrung

#itstimeforchange #cultureislife

 

What’s the impact of Australia Day on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and their families?

#itstimeforchange #cultureislife

 

What would it feel like for a young Aboriginal person if the past was truly acknowledged and they were included in Australia’s national celebrations?

‘I want to be included but I’m also remembering my families and what they’ve been through and experienced. It was never a day we felt like we could celebrate.’ Kodi Galleghan, Malak-Malak, Nhunggabarra, Kooma, Muruwari woman

‘I used to love the celebrations we had on Australia Day but it’s kind of upsetting to think that I can’t have that and invite Kodi along.’ Kevin Fernandez

#itstimeforchange #cultureislife


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Today marks Close The Gap Day, a call to health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. ❤️‍🩹

Our mob's wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do and today we recognise all the other organisations and individuals who are working tirelessly on bettering health outcomes for our communities. ✊🏾

We encourage you to read the Close the Gap Campaign Report 2024, prepared by Lowitja Institute for the Close the Gap Campaign Alliance Group March 2024 📝

Read the report: https://ow.ly/nZei50QYpj5

#ClosetheGapReport2024 #VoiceTreatyTruthandBeyond
“This is the story for everyone, that everyone needs to grapple with and think about because we all live in this country.” - Hannah Bryant, Secondary Teacher.

Find Out More 👉🏽 https://hubs.ly/Q02nTvgg0
Join The Campaign 🫱🏻‍🫲🏾 https://hubs.ly/Q02nTvfK0

#TheAustralianWars #HealOurHistory #Education

🎬 Series by @blackfellafilms
📺 Watch #TheAustralianWars on @sbs_australia
🖥️ Education Resources: https://hubs.ly/Q02nTvgz0
❤️ In partnership with @blackfellafilms and @sharkislandinstitute
We are excited to be a part of the Indigenous Suicide Prevention Forum 2024 this week on Bunurong/BoonWurrung Country in Albert Park, Melbourne 🧡

We presented two panels yesterday:

• 'The Elders Report' panel which invited Elders who participated in our 2018 Elder's Report into Preventing Indigenous Self-harm and Youth Suicide to share their knowledge and experience, and;

• The 'Caring for Country as an integral aspect of improving mental health outcomes for young people' panel to address the impact of environmental degradation and climate change on young mob. 🌿

This is such an important event and gathering of mob working in suicide prevention to share knowledge and connect, thank you to @aipa.aust for having us! 🙌🏽

📸 Uncle Keith Boney, Professor Pat Dudgeon (Culture is Life Co-Chair), Professor Gracelyn Smallwood (Forum Elder), Aunty Stephanie Armstrong (Culture is Life Senior Consultant) and Manny Williams (Fullaship Program 2022).

#ISPForum #Indigenous #Aboriginal #TorresStraitIslander #SuicidePrevention #MentalHealth
"I encourage you to truly learn the ancestral story of this country. The advocacy, the determination, the survival, the practices, the intelligence. We as a country should love that we are a part of that." - Belinda Duarte (Wotjobaluk and Dja Dja Wurrung), CEO of Culture is Life

The Australian Dream is a theatrical feature documentary that uses the remarkable and inspirational story of AFL legend Adam Goodes as the prism through which to tell a powerful story about race, identity and belonging.

The Australian Dream resources can support students in their everyday lives, helping them to be more understanding and aware in the hopes to create a more inclusive nation for all peoples.

👉🏿 Follow @ausdreamfilm
📺 Watch it on @abcaustralia
🖥️ Use our free education resources #Linkinbio

#TheAustralianDream #CultureIsLife #Education
Pete shares his lived experience working in education and his responsibility to his community.

How can we ensure young people are connected and learn from Country at an early age?

Find Out More 👉🏽 https://hubs.ly/Q02mYSFC0
Join The Campaign 🫱🏻‍🫲🏾 https://hubs.ly/Q02mYSFH0

#TheAustralianWars #HealOurHistory #Education

🎬 Series by @blackfellafilms
📺 Watch #TheAustralianWars on @sbs_australia
🖥️ Education Resources: https://hubs.ly/Q02mYSGG0
❤️ In partnership with @blackfellafilms and @sharkislandinstitute
Congratulations to the 2023 Fullaship Program on their graduation this week! 🎓 Big mob love to all the facilitators, mentors, family, friends and supporters of our work who came along to celebrate 🥳 

#FullashipProgram #Fullaship2023 #Aboriginal #TorresStraitIslander #FirstNations #Mentorship #Leadership #Culture #YoungPeople
We are so excited to be a part of HackGames 2024 today thanks to @mi.academy 👾

We are grateful to have been invited to join some of Australia's top retailers to network, ideate and bring some new and exciting ideas back into our work.🏆

#HackGames #Retail #Innovation
Day two of the final 2023 Fullaship Program intensive in LUTRUWITA with Guyala Bayles! Big mob love to @honeychildscreole for the feed. 🖤
Join us next Tuesday for a young, Blak and deadly evening featuring 25-year-old Gomeroi artist Kobie Dee and Miss First Nation: Supreme Queen and graduate of the Fullaship Program 2022, Cerulean, with a big mob feed by Mabu Mabu. 🖤

RSVP 💌 #Linkinbio