Tag Archives: Indigenous

On 27 May 1967, Australia approved two amendments to the Constitution relating to the ability of the Federal Parliament to legislate specifically for Indigenous Australians and for their inclusion in determinations of population. To mark the 50th anniversary of the Referendum, Brooke Prentis reflects on the historic occasion and what it means for First Peoples today. The 50th anniversary of ...

Right before Australia hit the polls on 2 July, Ashley Thompson asked under 30s at Newlife Uniting Church’s Heartbeat Conference what policy decisions they would champion given the chance. Let them stay The plight of refugees and asylum seekers is a contentious issue in the Australian political arena but in the eyes of Grace (13) and Iram (12) it’s simple: ...

A small group of Indigenous students has embarked on an innovative Queensland course aimed at combating the devastating rates of Indigenous suicide. Dianne Jensen reports. Like all new students, the 2015 intake at Wontulp-Bi-Buya College in Cairns turned up to the first day of class with a mix of excitement and trepidation. The 35 students enrolled for the Certificate IV ...

The Destiny Together week of prayer and fasting is over. Bruce Mullan looks at what’s next in the Uniting Church’s journey of reconciliation with First Peoples. The paint was washed off the foreheads and the chairs packed away but for those who participated in the Canberra prayer vigil and at other Destiny Together—Justice for First Peoples events around the nation, ...

Uniting Church members are invited to engage in the Week of Prayer and Fasting for Justice for First Peoples, writes Jennifer Whyte. One of the most poignant events of the 13th Assembly of the Uniting Church in 2012 was the silent walk of members through the streets of Adelaide to the South Australian Parliament. Prompted by the stories of anguish ...

Emerging Indigenous leaders and elders from across Australia are forging new partnerships through the Grasstree Gathering. Dianne Jensen reports. “Preaching in your own skin” is a catchphrase that sums up the cultural and spiritual empowerment of a people, and it resounded at the National Grasstree Gathering Emerging Indigenous Christian Leaders Conference in Brisbane. The Grasstree event in early October followed the inaugural ...

Nungalinya College in Darwin, Northern Territory, is celebrating 40 years as an Indigenous Christian college providing training for Indigenous Christians throughout Australia. The college has grown over the years as a unique partnership of the Uniting, Anglican and Catholic churches empowering Indigenous people to take up leadership in their communities and churches. In 2013 there were over 300 students enrolled ...