ANTaR’s Co-Chair, Brigid Knight-Braniff spoke at a forum hosted by Reconciliation Victoria recently which was around engaging local councils. As the election gets closer, we urge voters to reach out to their local candidates and have their voice heard.

Read on for more about what’s happening around town.

In Solidarity,
the ANTaR team

What’s on this month

Image by Tourism Australia

The Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre are running ‘First People tours’

Experience the vibrant cultures of indigenous Australia and see the most significant Aboriginal cultural collection in the world. Your expert guide will take you through the award-winning First Peoples exhibition and Milarri Gardens, and share insight into the rich traditions of performance, storytelling and artwork.

Discover traditional uses of indigenous plants, see cave paintings and live animals without leaving metropolitan Melbourne at Milarri Garden. Finish with an explanation and handling of Indigenous tools and artefacts.

Groups are limited to 20 and entry includes same day admission to  Melbourne Museum.

Find out more here

Image courtesy of the Briars

Briars Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Walk

Saturday, September 1, 10am-1pm

Discover how Victorian Aboriginals have cared for and used the flora and fauna of the Mornington Peninsula during a beautiful walk with Gunditjmara Kirrae Wurrung-Bundjalung man Lionel Lauch (Living Culture) as your guide.

Bookings are essential! Find out more here

Indigenous Literacy Day

Wednesday September 5

Indigenous Literacy Day is a national celebration of Indigenous culture, stories, language and literacy. However, it’s also a time to focus attention on the disadvantages experienced in remote communities. Join the campaign to encourage Australia to raise funds and advocate for more equal access to literacy resources in remote communities.

Get involved with your own fundraiser, a book swap or donation! Find out more here

You can also send books to be distributed in remote communities here

Other events will be happening such as the Book Sale Darebin – check it out here

UN Declaration on the right of Indigenous peoples

September 13

Passed on September 13, 2007, Australia was one of just 4 countries who voted against it. Despite the federal government backing the declaration in 2009, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples expressed deep concern on the prevalence of racism against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people after visiting remote Australia.

You can write to members of the parliament , urging them to uphold the UN declaration on the rights of Indigenous peoples justice. Find out more here

Amata Women’s Paintings

Ongoing until 4 November, QAGOMA

Tjala Arts is a leader in the vibrant contemporary Indigenous Western Desert painting movement. Located in the remote settlement of Amata, on the Anangu Pitjantjatjarra Yankunytjatjarra (APY) lands of north-western South Australia, Tjala Arts is the artistic hub of the community and known for its diverse range of styles, energetic mark making and rich colourful palette.

Find out more here

Four Colour Season

Thursday, September 13, Federation Square

The traditional four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter have been depicted in European art and music for centuries, but the Aboriginal experience oft the seasons is a much more varied and subtler story that tells of the patterns of animal and plant life and their direct impact on survival.

The Song Company are joined by dancers from the Thomas E.S. Kelly Project to trace the course of the Earth’s annual journey in movement and song.

Find out more here

Koolin Country Aboriginal way Bush Walk

Saturday, September 15, 10am-12pm, Grants Picnic area

Led by a Yalukit Willam woman and a Noonaru Wadjirri man, this walk will enable you to witness changing vegetation passing through cleared areas of bush created by successive wildfires of the early 1900s , walk amongst towering Mountain Ash and Messmate Stringybark trees and see a wide variety of ferns and other wet and damp forest vegetation. We will discuss some of the practical uses of bush medicine and how you can practice gentle wild harvesting to treat common ailments.

The walk is graded as easy to moderate. Find out more here