AustLit

'I’m a proud Aboriginal/South Sea Island Aussie. My mob are the Bailai people the Traditional Custodians of the Gladstone area in Central Queensland which is where I grew up, met my wife and started our family. We now live on the Sunshine Coast where I work with young people (both Indigenous and non-Indigenous) who are involved with the youth justice system. I’m also proud of my involvement with some other programs involving young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, which include the Change Course Oxfam program and the Queensland Indigenous Youth Leadership Program. They both encourage and guide our Indigenous young people to be the leaders that our mob need to continue taking us forward.' (Introduction)

'My name is Nathan Brennan. I am a proud Aboriginal man descending from the Gumilaroi and Gumbainggirr Aboriginal language groups. I was born in Newcastle where I have been an active member of the community in which I still reside.' (Introduction)

'My name is Amelia. I come from a place called Utopia. It’s about 250kms north-east of Alice Springs. It’s a remote community where our culture has never died, and I am so privileged to call it home.' (Introduction)

'I am a Yuwallarai woman from northwest NSW. I’m 46 years old, a daughter, a sister, an aunty and – Aboriginal way – a mother and grandmother. I currently spend my time between Sydney and Lismore in NSW, but “home” is Goodooga in the northwest of the state, where many of my family members live.' (Introduction)

'I was born in Grafton in Northern NSW and moved to Auburn in Western Sydney when I was seven years old. I’m from the Bundjalung, Gumbaynggir and Yuin people. My father’s family come from Baryulgil about 80 km north of Grafton, on the Clarence River. He grew up there and moved when he married my mother. I was one of 11 children and I slept in a single bed with three of my brothers until I was about 12 – which was fine except that my youngest brother wet the bed.'  (Introduction)

'My name is Robert Eggington, I am a Bibbulmun man from the South West of Australia. I am 57 and was born in Perth. My father was a military man and as a family we moved around various states living close to army depots. When I was seven years old we moved to Ipswich in Queensland for two years, and then to Western Sydney, in Villawood, where I completed both my primary and junior high school requirements.'  (Introduction)

'I was born and bred in Narrabri in northern NSW and I am proud member of the Gomerio people. I’ve worked in the public service in Canberra and loved it. After completing a MBA from Melbourne Business School in 2005, I started working in the finance sector which is where I’ve been ever since. I’m currently the head of Indigenous finance and developmentat NAB.' (Introduction)

'I’m a Meriam man of the Torres Strait Islands with a shared Scottish ancestry. I was born on the land of the Gadigal people but did most of my growing up on Nyoongar country near Derbil Yerrigan in the suburb of Bassendean.' (Introduction)

'I am a proud Wiradjuri woman who’s part of a big family. The centre of my world revolves around my husband Mitchell and making music and creating with him. We are in a duo called Bow and Arrow, and together we cover a broad range of sounds and styles from dark edgy moody stuff to triumphant uplifting tunes.' (Introduction)

'I belong to the Wiradjuri people of central western New South Wales, on my mother’s side of the family. I’ve worked in Aboriginal affairs for about 25 years, and in Aboriginal health for more than 10. I completed university study as a mature aged student at Australian National University, Canberra, which was very empowering. In recent years I’ve worked in Aboriginal health policy, including the Australian Department of Health, the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association and Indigenous Allied Health Australia.' (Introduction)

'I belong to the Kokoberrin people of the Cape York peninsula. As a young man, I was really lucky to have been taken under the wing of senior elders and shown my homeland through their eyes. As a result, I’ve been a Cape York advocate for many years and have fronted many campaigns including anti-mining ones, and more recently opposing new Wild Rivers legislation. My motivation lies in the connection my elders gave me to our homelands. Without the senior Kokoberrin people, I would not have any culture.'  (Introduction)

'I am of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent – Wuthanthi from Cape York Peninsula and Murray Island in the Torres Strait.' (Introduction)

'My name is Amelia May Telford, most people know me as Millie. I’m a Bundjalung woman, born in Tweed Heads and grew up in a little place called Riley’s Hill with my parents, two older brothers and our loveable labrador. Dad is Aboriginal South Sea Islander and mum is kiwi, from New Zealand. I’m currently living on Wurundjeri land, down in Melbourne, working for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) to build a network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people supported to be leaders in climate change and sustainability.'  (Introduction)

'My name is Daniel James, I am a Yorta Yorta man residing in marvellous Melbourne. I am web developer, social media manager, podcaster and a advocate for my people and the unprivileged generally. We live in a great country, but one that is under threat through growing inequality, isolationism and the undermining of our democracy by the remnants of a failed class system.'  (Introduction)

'I am a lawyer, a professor of law and a fellow of the Australian Academy of Law. I am also an expert member of the UN permanent forum on Indigenous issues based in New York.' (Introduction)

'I’m a Nyikina man from Derby, Western Australia, a small town of about 5,000 in the Kimberley region. Like many Aboriginal families there, mine is quite large. I have three brothers, a sister and many nieces and nephews. We were part of a new generation of Indigenous people in the 1990s to go to university;I went to UWA in Perth and completed a Geographic Information Systems degree – think Google Maps.'  (Introduction)

'I live in Melbourne, but my family is originally from Darwin in the Northern Territory and I grew up in Adelaide, South Australia. My father was Tiwi and Larrakia and my mum was Teo Chew Chinese from Malaysia. I identify as both Aboriginal and Chinese and also as Muslim, as this is my chosen faith. I am strongly feminist, anti-racist and write on my blog Black Thoughts Live Here.' (Introduction)

'I’m Lynore, one of 10 children born and raised on Palm Island, North Queensland, daughter to Thomas and Betty Geia. I’m a Bwgcolman woman, passionate about the people I belong to and the country I belong to – Palm Island.'  (Introduction)