NACCHO Aboriginal Women’s Health #Saveadate #nwhs18 Features this week : Three major events #WomensVoices #NAIDOC18 Because of her we can #WomensConference 11-12 July 2018 in Sydney

In 2018 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO is leading a national conversation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls to hear their priorities, challenges and aspirations for themselves, their families and their future.

National talks started in the regional city of in north-west Victoria on Monday and will be heading to Melbourne on Wednesday -Friday then will continue throughout the year, visiting more than 30 locations

See details below or HERE

NAIDOC Week 2018 will also celebrate the invaluable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made – and continue to make – to our communities, our families, our rich history and to our nation.

And finally just a reminder applications to present a workshop at the National NAIDOC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Woman’s Conference 11-12 July 2018 in Sydney need to be submitted by COB this Friday 23 February 2018.

In this week’s NACCHO Save a date we feature these 3 major Women’s Business events

  1. June Oscar Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices)
  2. NAIDOC 2018: Because of her, we can!
  3. Part 3 National NAIDOC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Woman’s Conference

As CEO of NACCHO  Patricia Turner is at the forefront of community efforts to in health outcomes.

Follow to learn how she and other top influencers want to shape Australia’s women’s health at the National Women’s Health Summit

Download the NACCHO Aboriginal Health 2018 Save A Date calendar

NACCHO Save a Date 2018 Updated 20 Feb

View #WomensVoices Magnolia Maymuru – Project Ambassador

Part 1 June Oscar Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices)

A MESSAGE FROM THE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMISSIONER

Dear friends,

I am the first Aboriginal woman appointed to the role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission.

It is my role to raise awareness of the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to provide guidance to Government on how to promote and protect these rights.

Fighting for the rights of the most vulnerable people in our communities, including our women and children, have been at the core of my advocacy and remains a core focus of my role.

It has been a little over 30 years since the findings from national consultations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were published in a report called, ‘Women’s Business’.

This report represents the first time that the views of Aboriginal women were directly sought by the Commonwealth Government.

I hope to continue this important work, and to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women over the next 18 months so that their voices can shape their futures.

I strongly encourage all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls, as well as those who support us, to engage in these national conversations.

This process belongs to you all, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yaninyja.

Thank you.

June Oscar AO, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.

June Oscar AO is a proud Bunuba woman from the remote town of Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. She is a strong advocate for Indigenous Australian languages, social justice, women’s issues, and has worked tirelessly to reduce Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

The Commissioner has indicated that her term will place a strong emphasis on:

Championing community voices;

Promoting strengths-based community-driven approaches to addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander disadvantage; and

ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls have the enabling conditions to fully participate in policies, programs and decisions that affect them.

Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) will explore:

the needs, challenges and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls today

the key achievements in relation to the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls over the past 30 years

ways to enhance the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls so that they can lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives

ways to promote and protect culture.Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices)  will run from late 2017 and throughout 2018 and will speak with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls from across the country either at a series of community meetings or via our online submission process.

If you want any further information concerning this project or if you have any issues which may be related to your involvement in the project, you can contact the Commission by email: wiyiyaniuthangani@humanrights.gov.au

or phone: 02 9284 9600

Pictures from Mondays #WomensVoices workshop in Mildura

 

Mildura – Session 2 Tuesday 20th February 2018 9:30am – 12:30pm Quality Hotel Mildura Grand, Seventh Street, Mildura 3500

Register via email wiyiyaniuthangani@humanrights.gov.au

Mildura – Session 3 Tuesday 20th February 2018 2:00pm – 5:00pm Quality Hotel Mildura Grand, Seventh Street, Mildura 3500

Register via email wiyiyaniuthangani@humanrights.gov.au

Melbourne – Session 1 Wednesday 21st February 2018 4:00pm – 7:00pm Mantra Bell City, 215 Bell Street, Preston VIC 3072

Register via email wiyiyaniuthangani@humanrights.gov.au

Melbourne – Session 2 Thursday 22nd February 2018 9:30am – 12:30pm Mantra Bell City, 215 Bell Street, Preston VIC 3072

Register via email wiyiyaniuthangani@humanrights.gov.au

Melbourne – Session 3 Thursday 22nd February 2018 2:00pm – 5:00pm Mantra Bell City, 215 Bell Street, Preston VIC 3072

Register via email wiyiyaniuthangani@humanrights.gov.au

Melbourne – Session 4 Friday 23rd
February 2018
9:30am – 12:30pm Mantra Bell City, 215 Bell Street, Preston VIC 3072

Register via email wiyiyaniuthangani@humanrights.gov.au

 

Part 2 NAIDOC 2018: Because of her, we can!

Statement by National NAIDOC Co-Chairs Dr Anne Martin & Mr Ben Mitchell

NAIDOC Week 2018 will celebrate the invaluable contributions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have made – and continue to make – to our communities, our families, our rich history and to our nation.

Under the theme – Because of her, we can! – NAIDOC Week 2018 will be held nationally from Sunday 8 July and continue through to Sunday 15 July.

As pillars of our society, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have played – and continue to play – active and significant roles at the community, local, state and national levels.

As leaders, trailblazers, politicians, activists and social change advocates, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women fought and continue to fight, for justice, equal rights, our rights to country, for law and justice, access to education, employment and to maintain and celebrate our culture, language, music and art.

They continue to influence as doctors, lawyers, teachers, electricians, chefs, nurses, architects, rangers, emergency and defence personnel, writers, volunteers, chief executive officers, actors, singer songwriters, journalists, entrepreneurs, media personalities, board members, accountants, academics, sporting icons and Olympians, the list goes on.

They are our mothers, our elders, our grandmothers, our aunties, our sisters and our daughters.

Sadly, Indigenous women’s role in our cultural, social and political survival has often been invisible, unsung or diminished.

For at least 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried our dreaming stories, songlines, languages and knowledge that have kept our culture strong and enriched us as the oldest continuing culture on the planet.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were there at first contact.

They were there at the Torres Strait Pearlers strike in 1936, the Day of Mourning in 1938, the 1939 Cummeragunja Walk-Off, at the 1946 Pilbara pastoral workers’ strike, the 1965 Freedom Rides, the Wave Hill walk off in 1966, on the front line of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972 and at the drafting of the Uluru Statement.

They have marched, protested and spoken at demonstrations and national gatherings for the proper recognition of our rights and calling for national reform and justice.

Our women were heavily involved in the campaign for the 1967 Referendum and also put up their hands to represent their people at the establishment of national advocacy and representative bodies from the National Aboriginal Congress (NAC) to ATSIC to Land Councils and onto the National Congress for Australia’s First Peoples.

They often did so while caring for our families, maintaining our homes and breaking down cultural and institutionalised barriers and gender stereotypes.

Our women did so because they demanded a better life, greater opportunities and – in many cases equal rights – for our children, our families and our people.

They were pioneering women like Barangaroo, Truganini, Gladys Elphick, Fannie Cochrane-Smith, Evelyn Scott, Pearl Gibbs, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Celuia Mapo Salee, Thancoupie, Justine Saunders, Gladys Nicholls, Flo Kennedy, Essie Coffey, Isabel Coe, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Eleanor Harding, Mum Shirl, Ellie Gaffney and Gladys Tybingoompa.

Today, they are trailblazers like Joyce Clague, Yalmay Yunupingu, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Nova Peris, Carol Martin, Elizabeth Morgan, Barbara Shaw, Rose Richards, Vonda Malone, Margaret Valadian, Lowitja O’Donoghue, June Oscar, Pat O’Shane, Pat Anderson Jill Milroy, Banduk Marika, Linda Burney and Rosalie Kunoth-Monks – to name but a few.

Their achievements, their voice, their unwavering passion give us strength and have empowered past generations and paved the way for generations to come.

Because of her, we can!

The National NAIDOC poster competition and award nominations will open in the coming weeks. Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander artists aged 13+ are encouraged to start working on artwork which reflects the 2018 theme. Keep an eye on the website and the National NAIDOC Facebook page for more details.

Part 3 National NAIDOC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Woman’s Conference

Just a reminder applications to Present a Workshop at the National NAIDOC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Woman’s Conference 11-12 July 2018 in Sydney need to be submitted by COB this Friday 23 February 2018.

Whilst the Speakers Agenda to the main Forum is full there is an opportunity for you to participate and share your knowledge and promote the fabulous work you are doing in your workplace by Presenting a Workshop.

We know our woman are doing incredible work in a number of areas such as Aboriginal organisations, Indigenous Woman in Business, Health, Aboriginal Education, Resource Sector, Hospitality, Govt/ non Govt sector, Indigenous Employment, Finance, Law, Universities, CEO’s, Writers and Cultural Workshops, Aboriginal Art/ Craft Sector, STEM, Children in Care, Aboriginal Tourism, Indigenous Leadership, Stolen Generation, Religious groups, Community organisations particularly NFP’s to name a few.

We would love you to come and share that knowledge so
if you wish to Present a Workshop please email sharon@ngiyani.com who will email you the paperwork to complete. Applications will then be assessed and you will be advised if it is accepted.

Just a reminder of the format:

Day 1 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Woman only
Day 2- Open to all Woman to attend.

NB: Non-Indigenous woman are strongly encouraged to co-present with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Woman if Presenting a Workshop on Day 2.

So you may also wish to nominate either Day 1 or Day 2 to Present your Workshop on your application. Where possible we will attempt to ensure this happens but we can’t guarantee it due to the huge volume of Workshop applications received.

There will be approximately 20 Workshops running concurrently over 3 different time slots after lunch each day@ 45 mins each

1.00 -1.45 pm Workshop 1
2.00- 2.45 pm Workshop 2
3.00 – 3.30 pm afternoon tea
3.45 – 4.30 pm Workshop 3
4.30 – 5.00 pm Plenary Session

The times vary slightly on the second day

This is an official NAIDOC Event, the Conference organisers Christine Ross Consultancy and Sharon Kinchela and Chris Figg from Ngiyani Pty Ltd will be in Sydney next week to finalise the venue and meet with potential Sponsors.

We will be announcing the Conference venue next Monday 26 February 2018. But a heads up is given we will have hundreds of Woman from across Australia attending this historic Conference it will be held at one of the large Universities in Sydney.

We will release information on accomodation surrounding the University when official Registrations open end of March 2018.

Just a reminder cost pp to attend is $350 for 2 days, or $175 for 1 day, this covers coffee/ tea/ morning/ afternoon tea and lunch over the 2 days and venue hire.

We are still urgently seeking Sponsorship so if your Company has a RAP that celebrates NAIDOC week, Diversity Program, Gender Equity Program then we welcome you as a Sponsor.

We need Sponsors to ensure this conference happens. So please contact

christine.ross@live.com.au for a Sponsorship Package or ring 0417462213

There will be a Conference Dinner on Wednesday 11 July 2018, additional cost to attend approx $80 pp. This is optional with details to follow.

Conference organisers are Christine Ross Consultancy and Ngiyani Pty Ltd – organised by Aboriginal woman for Aboriginal woman.

Aboriginal Health #NAIDOC2017 Week : Our #ACCHO Members Good News Stories from #SA #NT #WA #VIC #NSW #QLD #Act #Tas

Intro : History of NAIDOC Week

1.NSW :Coffs Harbour NAIDOC Our Languages Matter – Garla ngarraangiya ngiyambandiya ngawaawa – is the theme for this year

 2.VIC : Smoking ceremony and afternoon tea at VACCHO Celebrating NAIDOC Week.

3.1 QLD New ATSICHS clinic opens NAIDOC week at Loganlea reminds us of those champions in Indigenous health who blazed the trail

3.2 QLD : Carbal ACCHO  leads the way for Indigenous health NAIDOC WEEK

 3.3 Apunipima ACCHO at Laura Dance Festival Cape York Tackling Indigenous Smoking

4.1 W.A New program announced in NAIDOC Week to improve social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal people in regional WA

4.2 WA : Sistagirls wearing  NAIDOC design hoodies in Warburton WA Tackling Indigenous Smoking

5. SA Sharon Bilney ACCHO Nurse celebrate and acknowledges NAIDOC Week

6.1 NT : ABC TV Q and A broadcasts from Alice Springs for NAIDOC week

6.2 Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt visits Congress Alice Springs for NAIDOC week

7. ACT : Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service judges choice in NAIDOC damper bake off

8. Tas :  Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (TAC) praised by Premier in NAIDOC week for reviving palawa kani, the Tasmanian Aboriginal language                           

How to submit a NACCHO Affiliate  or Members Good News Story ? 

 Email to Colin Cowell NACCHO Media    

Mobile 0401 331 251

Wednesday by 4.30 pm for publication each Thursday

History of NAIDOC Week

Photo above national launch of NAIDOC week in Cairns

NAIDOC poster  photo in banner Janette Milera🖤🧡

NACCHO Aboriginal Health News : 10 Winners profiles National #NAIDOC2017 Awards

Download and print the NAIDOC History Timeline (PDF version)

1920 – 1930

Before the 1920s, Aboriginal rights groups boycotted Australia Day (26 January) in protest against the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians. By the 1920s, they were increasingly aware that the broader Australian public were largely ignorant of the boycotts. If the movement were to make progress, it would need to be active.

Several organisations emerged to fill this role, particularly the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (AAPA) in 1924 and the Australian Aborigines League (AAL) in 1932. Their efforts were largely overlooked, and due to police harassment, the AAPA abandoned their work in 1927.

In 1935, William Cooper, founder of the AAL, drafted a petition to send to King George V, asking for special Aboriginal electorates in Federal Parliament. The Australian Government believed that the petition fell outside its constitutional responsibilities.

1938

On Australia Day, 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney, followed by a congress attended by over a thousand people. One of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world, it was known as the Day of Mourning.

Following the congress, a deputation led by William Cooper presented Prime Minister Joseph Lyons with a proposed national policy for Aboriginal people. This was again rejected because the Government did not hold constitutional powers in relation to Aboriginal people.

After the Day of Mourning, there was a growing feeling that it should be a regular event. In 1939 William Cooper wrote to the National Missionary Council of Australia to seek their assistance in supporting and promoting an annual event.

1940 – 1955

From 1940 until 1955, the Day of Mourning was held annually on the Sunday before Australia Day and was known as Aborigines Day. In 1955 Aborigines Day was shifted to the first Sunday in July after it was decided the day should become not simply a protest day but also a celebration of Aboriginal culture.

1956 – 1990

Major Aboriginal organisations, state and federal governments, and a number of church groups all supported the formation of, the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC). At the same time, the second Sunday in July became a day of remembrance for Aboriginal people and their heritage.

In 1972, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs was formed, as a major outcome of the 1967 referendum.

In 1974, the NADOC committee was composed entirely of Aboriginal members for the first time. The following year, it was decided that the event should cover a week, from the first to second Sunday in July.

In 1984, NADOC asked that National Aborigines Day be made a national public holiday, to help celebrate and recognise the rich cultural history that makes Australia unique. While this has not happened, other groups have echoed the call.

1991 – Present

With a growing awareness of the distinct cultural histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, NADOC was expanded to recognise Torres Strait Islander people and culture. The committee then became known as the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC). This new name has become the title for the whole week, not just the day. Each year, a theme is chosen to reflect the important issues and events for NAIDOC Week.

During the mid-1990s, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) took over the management of NAIDOC until ATSIC was disbanded in 2004-05.

There were interim arrangements in 2005. Since then a National NAIDOC Committee, until recently chaired by former Senator Aden Ridgeway, has made key decisions on national celebrations each year. The National NAIDOC Committee has representatives from most Australian states and territories.

Since 2008, Anne Martin and Ben Mitchell have been serving as co-chairs of the National NAIDOC Committee.

NAIDOC Week posters from 1972 to the present see link here

National NAIDOC Posters are available for public use to help you celebrate NAIDOC Week

1.NSW :Coffs Harbour NAIDOC Our Languages Matter – Garla ngarraangiya ngiyambandiya ngawaawa – is the theme for this year

The NAIDOC Ready Mob Road Show Kempsey , Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour

Aboriginal Health Services aim to be the peak providers of high quality, culturally appropriate holistic primary health and related care services throughout the Mid North Coast.

The services operate from Monday to Friday and provide access to General Practitioners, Aboriginal Health Workers, various medical specialists and allied health professionals.

The following Aboriginal Medical Services provide services to communities within the boundaries of the Mid North Coast Local Health District. Please contact them directly for further information:

02 6652 0800 Galambila Aboriginal Medical Service, Coffs Harbour

02 6560 2300 Durri Aboriginal Health Service Inc, Kempsey

02 6958 6800 Darrimba Maarra, Nambucca

02 6589 4000 Werin Aboriginal Corporation Medical Clinic, Port Macquarie

 2.VIC : Smoking ceremony and afternoon tea at VACCHO Celebrating NAIDOC Week.Photos Eddie Moore
 
Flag raising Federation Square
3.1 QLD New ATSICHS clinic opens NAIDOC week at Loganlea reminds us of those champions in Indigenous health who blazed the trail

 As NAIDOC Week is celebrated nationwide, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Loganlea can also celebrate access to health treatment closer to home with the opening of a new primary healthcare clinic.

The new clinic, which Health and Ambulance Services Minister Cameron Dick opened today, received more than $900,000 in funding from the Palaszczuk Government.

Mr Dick said the facility was a step in the right direction in addressing the healthcare needs of the local community.

“The large and growing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in the Logan area has increased demand for culturally appropriate and accessible health services,” Mr Dick said.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane’s new Loganlea Clinic provides community based patient care, allowing for conditions, such as chronic disease, to be managed close to home and within a community setting.

“Spending less time in a hospital is always a better outcome for everyone, and eases the demand on resources for the hospitals in the area.”

Under the Making Tracks Investment Strategy 2015-2018, Queensland Health provided about $920,000 to ATSICHS Brisbane to establish the Loganlea clinic with the help of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH).

Mr Dick said investing in evidence-based multidisciplinary services for Indigenous Queenslanders was a key aspect of the Palaszczuk Government’s strategy.

“In addition, ATSICHS Brisbane currently receives $1 million annually to deliver comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary healthcare services at their Woodridge clinic and $220,000 to employ two child health workers at their Northgate clinic,” he said.

Member for Waterford and Minister for Communities Shannon Fentiman said it was great that the clinic could be opened during NAIDOC Week.

“The Palaszczuk Government is investing more than $200 million over three years into services and programs targeted at closing the health gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people in Queensland,” Ms Fentiman said.

“Our goal is to close the life expectancy gap by 2033 and halve the child mortality gap by 2018.

“Partnering with community-based organisations to provide accessible and efficient primary healthcare services will go a long way to achieving this.”

ATSICHS Brisbane is a not-for-profit community owned health and human services organisation, now with seven medical clinics across greater Brisbane and Logan.

“The Loganlea community will benefit greatly from this clinic, which will have a tangible impact on the health and wellbeing of our clients and the strength of our community,” ATSICHS Brisbane CEO Jody Currie said.

“This week as we celebrate NAIDOC, our hope is that our people and our community, not just in Logan but across the state can say: I make good choices and decisions about my health and wellbeing and get the treatment and care that is best for me and my life. This can happen through clinics such as these.

“Together with the IUIH we are determined to advance the Indigenous healthcare sector, delivering positive and practical responses to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing needs.”

IUIH CEO Adrian Carson said the clinic would meet the increased demand, with the release of the 2016 Census

3.2 Carbal ACCHO  leads the way for Indigenous health NAIDOC WEEK

AS NAIDOC Week 2017 swings into celebration, Carbal Medical Centre in Warwick is at the front-line, keeping our indigenous community fighting fit.

PHOTO : CHECK-UP: Carbal Medical Centre’s doctor Christine Tran checks out Ethan Appleby while Rebecca Appleby looks

Clinic manager Kerry Stewart said Carbal was a one-stop shop for indigenous health in Warwick.

“We look after it all here, all health concerns, be they physical, mental, emotional and social,” Mrs Stewart said

She said the main health concern among Warwick’s indigenous population was chronic disease.

“This is something we see a lot of – diabetes, cancer, respiratory problems and renal failure are the main issues,” she said.

“To help we have a large team of doctors, nurses, allied health and Aboriginal health workers, indigenous team care co-ordinators, who can assist with support, care and comfort.

“We also have a worker whose job is to tackle indigenous smoking.

“With funding we receive we’re able to pay for things like sleep apnoea machines, mobility aids, blood sugar monitors, nebulisers, items that help keep our patients healthy. We also provide transport and accommo- dation services for those who need them to assist patients to get to appoint- ments in Warwick and further afield.”

Carbal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services chief executive officer Brian Hewitt said under the Closing the Gap initiative the Federal Government decided in 2006 the best way to approach indigenous health was by starting community indigenous health centres.

“So various Aboriginal Medical Services were developed and Carbal has been hugely successful, so much so we became a company 12 months ago,” Mr Hewitt said.

“We run five clinics, employing 80 staff that encompass Toowoomba, Warwick, Stanthorpe and Goondiwindi. We look after about 6000 clients, 5000 who identify as indigenous.”

 3.3 Apunipima ACCHO at Laura Dance Festival Cape York Tackling Indigenous Smoking

4.1 W.A New program announced in NAIDOC Week to improve social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal people in regional WA

New Aboriginal family wellbeing training will be prioritised across the Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields regions, in a West Australian first to address social and emotional health risks in indigenous communities.

The Aboriginal Health Council of WA welcomed today’s State Government announcement to contribute $1 million over two years towards the pilot Aboriginal Family Wellbeing project to help prevent self-harm and suicide in the regions by strengthening families.

The project includes an accredited six-month Certificate II training program, which will be delivered jointly by the WA Mental Health Commission, AHCWA and the 22 Aboriginal Medical Services across the state.

AHCWA Chairperson Michelle Nelson Cox said the initiative would ensure all Aboriginal Medical Services in WA had at least one key staff member skilled in delivering the program.

“This is about building the skills and confidence of our social and emotional wellbeing teams across all Aboriginal Medical Services so they can identify communities where there is real need to strengthen family wellbeing and, in turn, self-harm and suicide prevention strategies,” Ms Nelson Cox said.

“Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in Aboriginal communities.

“Statistics show that the suicide rate for indigenous Australians is almost twice the rate for non-indigenous Australians. And concerningly, the suicide rate of our young people aged 15 to 19 is five times as high as non-indigenous Australians.”

At least six trainers will be educated in the program in the first year, with a focus on the Kimberley, Pilbara and Goldfields regions. Other services and regions will be invited to participate in the second year.

“This is the first time that this training has been delivered in WA and we feel proud to have built a partnership with the Mental Health Commission to share this important initiative,” Ms Nelson Cox said.

“Until now, there has been a lack of specific Aboriginal family wellbeing training. We hope that by providing this new program it will lead to more and more trainers in the regions and real health benefits to our communities.”

AHCWA is the peak body for Aboriginal health in WA, with 22 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) currently engaged as members.

4.2 WA : Sistagirls wearing  NAIDOC design hoodies in Warburton WA Tackling Indigenous Smoking

5. SA Sharon Bilney ACCHO Nurse celebrate and acknowledges NAIDOC Week

“Deciding to become a nurse is a decision that I’ve never regretted,

It’s a career that you can have around children and I’ve loved the opportunities that have come with it as well – I loved that I’ve worked in a hospital setting but also been able to lecture and have the chance to mentor and support young Aboriginal students on their path into nursing.”

The mother of four, who is Manager of Client Services for Port Lincoln Aboriginal Health Service, began her early career working at Port Lincoln Hospital.

Going home with the feeling that she’d made a difference in someone’s life that day is what Sharon Bilney says is the best part of being a nurse.

“When I was working at the hospital, it was just so nice to feel as though I’d made a difference,whether it was to an Aboriginal patient that day or educating a non-Aboriginal person about Aboriginal culture,” Ms Bilney, who belongs to the Kokatha family group, said.She also had a two-year stint lecturing in nursing at TAFE South Australia’s Port Lincoln Campus.

Ms Bilney is speaking about her nursing career to help highlight NAIDOC Week, which runs from Sunday, July 2-9, and is urging young Indigenous people to explore nursing as a career option.

The theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week is Our Languages Matter.

“I highly recommend nursing. Even if you don’t want to work in a hospital, the possibilities and options are endless. Take every opportunity that comes your way,” Ms Bilney said.

“NAIDOC week is an important week to celebrate our history and culture. If not for anything else, it is just a wonderful opportunity to recognise our people for one week.”

Ms Bilney said the best thing she had ever done was switch from her previous career in office work to nursing.

“Once I knew that I would be able to study at home part-time while I still had my youngest little boy at home with me, I thought the opportunity was just amazing,” she said.

“Once I was enrolled, I just wanted to focus on getting through the next five years of study and really achieve that goal of becoming a nurse.”

In her final year of study, Ms Bilney received the Federal Government-funded Rural and Remote Undergraduate scholarship, through the Australian College of Nursing (ACN). ACN Chief Executive Officer, Adjunct Professor Kylie Ward FACN, said Ms Bilney was a perfect example of how diverse a career in nursing could be, and how it could be explored at different stages in life.

“Sharon was a mum at home caring for her young son when an opportunity came her way to be able to study nursing,” Adjunct Professor Ward said.

“On completing her studies, she has had the opportunity to work in a hospital and experience theatre work, accident and emergency, the surgical and medical wards and has also had the chance to work in palliative care and mental health.

“She has also lectured in nursing and been able to mentor young Indigenous students and is now leading the way in providing health care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Port Lincoln.”

6.1 NT : ABC TV Q and A broadcasts from Alice Springs for NAIDOC week

Features William Tilmouth Chair of Congress ACCHO

 

6.2 Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt visits Congress Alice Springs for NAIDOC week

  Aboriginal Health #NAIDOC2017 : New Aboriginal-led collaboration has world-class focus on boosting remote Aboriginal health

7. ACT : Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service judges choice in NAIDOC damper bake off

It was made with love, hope and a bit of glitter.

A dozen teams battled it out in a damper cook-off at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on Tuesday as part of National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee week celebrations.

The Glamper Damper Campers represented Reconciliation Australia and were the overall winners. The team created a unique damper, which they described as being made with love, hope and glitter. The three-cheese damper also featured pumpkin, spinach and buttermilk – which they said was the secret ingredient.

Damper, also known as bush bread or seedcake, was originally made from flour of ground seeds, grains, legumes, roots or nuts. But the introduction of pre-milled white flour and white sugar has mostly replaced the use of native ingredients to make the damper.

Competition judge and Ngunnawal man Richie Allan, of the Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, said the competitors were judged on a number of criteria, including taste, flavour, texture and creativity.

“The boys went a bit fancy on all the criteria, looks like MKR or something,” Mr Allan said, laughing.

Next year’s competition might go back to the “old ways” of baking damper, where contestants have to grind seeds to make their own flour, he said.Joining Mr Allan on the judging panel were Reconciliation Australia deputy chief executive officer Karen Mundine and event organiser Derek Hardman.

There were winners in four categories:

  • Judge’s choice – Mozzarella, ham and chive, created by Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service.
  • Best flavour – Nutella centre, created by Indigenous Business Australia.
  • Encouragement award – Choc chip, created by Lynley, 5, and Kennedy, 8.
  • Reconciliation Australia NAIDOC overall winner – Pumpkin, three cheese and spinach created by the Glamper Damper Campers from Reconciliation Australia.

Reconciliation Australia organised the event and had two teams competing. The other teams were made up of people from various organisations and public service departments, including the ACT Health Directorate and the ACT Finance Directorate.

Reconciliation Australia chief executive officer Justin Mohamed said the aim of the event was to focus on “sharing culture, having relationships, talking [and] getting to know each other better”.

The event was a first for the organisation and Mohamed said he enjoyed being out of the boardroom and around the campfire.

Information on other NAIDOC events happening this week can be found here.

8. Tas :  Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (TAC) praised by Premier in NAIDOC week for reviving palawa kani, the Tasmanian Aboriginal language.

June Sculthorpe is passionate about palawa kani.

In the 1990s she was one of the first people to work on a program to revive the Tasmanian Aboriginal language, alongside linguist Terry Crowley at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.

Palawa kani words to learn

  • ya — Hello
  • lakapawa nina — See you
  • mina — I, me
  • nina — You
  • ya pulingina — Welcome
  • nina nayri? — How are you going?
  • mina nayri — I’m well
  • lutruwita — Tasmania

They used as their base written documents from early explorers who had transcribed Aboriginal words.

Professor Crowley also had some recordings of the language being spoken, and it turned out those recordings had a connection to Ms Sculthorpe.

“As he played that [recording], I knew the lady who had spoken to it,” she said.

“Her name was Dot Heffernan who was Fanny Cochrane Smith’s grandchild.”

Ms Sculthorpe is also a descendant of Fanny Cochrane Smith, who famously recorded Aboriginal songs on wax cylinders in the 1800s.

“I had never known that the language had been passed down in our family,” she said.

Hearing a voice she knew say “tapilti ningina mumara prupari patrula” (go and get a log and put it on the fire) was a life-changing moment for Ms Sculthorpe.

“I’d never known that those words had been used in Tasmania in my family and it was very moving. That was the beginning of my involvement with palawa kani.”

Ms Sculthorpe has built up knowledge of palawa kani to the point where the community can now relearn and reclaim their words and culture.

“Because our culture had been so taken away from us, we want to learn the language, we want our community to learn the language,” she said.

WATCH VIDEO HERE

 

  

 

         

Introducing dual place names for landmarks such as kunanyi/Mount Wellington has slowly seen palawa kani introduced to the whole of Tasmania.

“As we learn it more, it’s good to hear people … to be using the place names and basic greetings,” Ms Sculthorpe said.

“We’re in Tasmania and these are Tasmanian places and it just sort of connects us more to the long history of people living in Tasmania.”

During this year’s NAIDOC Week, Ms Sculthorpe has read the weather forecast each morning in palawa kani on ABC Radio Hobart Breakfast.

“It was a good way to learn, by being forced to go down and read the weather,” she said.

“Because we have all those words for hot and cold, sunny and cloudy, icy and foggy, and the language program puts all those words around here on a poster to try to get people to read them.

“But unless you actually have to use them every day it is hard to remember them.”

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman said NAIDOC Week served as an “an important reminder of the need for continued, concerted efforts towards reconciliation”.

He acknowledged the work of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (TAC) for its efforts researching and reviving traditional languages, particularly palawa kani, the Tasmanian Aboriginal language.

“Using palawa kani, 13 geographical features and places have now been given traditional language names, including Hobart’s mountain kunanyi/Mount Wellington,” he said.

It is estimated about 250 distinct Indigenous language groups once existed in Australia and most would have had several dialects, so the total number of language varieties is likely to be far more.

Tasmanian school students have joined in song and movement as part of their 2017 NAIDOC week celebrations, recognising the history, culture and achievements of Indigenous peoples.

The week’s theme of Our Languages Matter is focused on the importance, richness and resilience of Indigenous language, highlighting the role language plays in cultural identity and linking people to their land and water.

It also explores the way in which Indigenous history, spirituality and rites are shared through both story and song.

Moonah Primary School students celebrate NAIDOC

Aboriginal students from Moonah Primary School formed a NAIDOC committee and hosted a whole school assembly to mark the week.

They asked the school community to wear red, yellow and black in tribute to the Aboriginal flag.

“Every colour on the flag has its own meaning and representation,” Grade 6 student Heidi Farnell explained.

“The yellow circle in the middle represents the sun [which] is our protector and giver of life,” Grade 5 student Matilda Hopper said.

They told the audience the flag was designed to bring the Aboriginal community together in a bid for land rights.

“But today it represents more than that,” Caleb said.

“It is a widely recognised symbol of the unity and identity of my Aboriginal people.”School principal Kathy Morgan said it was a valuable experience for all students but especially those in the NAIDOC committee.

“They’ve just loved it. To start off with they were in awe of having this responsibility,” she said.

“They felt really special.”According to the national NAIDOC committee, there are now only about 120 languages still spoken, with many “at risk of being lost as elders pass on”.

NACCHO Aboriginal Health #NAIDOC2017 : Recognising the communication gap in Indigenous health care

 ” The communication gap between health professionals and Indigenous Australians has a significant impact on health outcomes

Limited health literacy is not confined to Indigenous people, but it is greatly magnified for speakers of Indigenous languages in comparison, for example, to non-English speaking migrants from countries where a scientific approach to medicine is practised and where these health concepts are already codified.”

Dr Robert Amery Medical Journal Australia NAIDOC Week 2017

 

Introduction Press Release

Communication gap puts Indigenous health at risk

The need for health professionals to have a stronger focus on communication with Indigenous people has been highlighted by the University of Adelaide’s Head of Linguistics, who says some lives are being put at risk because of a lack of patient-doctor understanding.

In a paper published (Monday 3 July) in the Medical Journal of Australia coinciding with the NAIDOC Week theme of Our Languages Matter – Dr Robert Amery has raised concerns not just about language but also a lack of cultural awareness that also impacts on good communication with Indigenous patients.

Dr Robert Amery, who heads Linguistics within the University of Adelaide’s School of Humanities and is a Kaurna language expert, says poor communication can lead to “mistrust and disengagement with the health sector” among

Indigenous patients, leading to a lack of compliance with treatment, and ultimately poor health outcomes.

He says there’s a 16-year gap in life expectancy for Indigenous people living in the Northern Territory compared with non-Indigenous Australians. Of these Indigenous people in the NT, 70% live in remote areas, and 60–65% speak an Indigenous language at home.

“While many speakers of Indigenous languages living in remote areas can engage with outsiders and converse in English about everyday matters, they often have a poor grasp of English when it comes to health communications and other specialised areas,” Dr Amery says.

Miscommunication can be subtle, and previous studies have shown that while both parties think they have understood each other, they can in fact come away with very different understandings.

“Miscommunication isn’t just about language. Some of these difficulties also arise from the interface of communication and culture, which are often derived from differences in worldview,” he says.

“For traditionally oriented Aboriginal people living in remote areas, understanding of disease causation is fundamentally different. Serious diseases, even accidents, are often attributed to sorcery. Germ theory and the immune system are foreign concepts.

“Silence plays an important role in Indigenous cultures. Indigenous people often respond to questions after a prolonged pause, a concept foreign to those doctors who see silence as impolite in their own cultures.

They compensate by filling the silence and disrupting Indigenous patients’ thoughts. There is a simple solution: pause and allow the patient to think.”

He also suggests healthcare professionals avoid the use of “intangible” conceptual English words and vague sentences, instead focusing on factual communication; that they demonstrate how a medical procedure works; and use simple diagrams to explain medical issues.

“These examples may seem plain and obvious, but astoundingly, despite the many hours dedicated to communication in medical education, such concepts are not taught,” Dr Amery says.

“An investment of time in the consult will have immense payoffs over the long term.”

 Download MJA paper here MJA Dr Robert Amery

Published with permission from Robert Amery and Medical  Journal Australia

 See website for references or PDF

The communication gap is most pronounced in remote areas where cultural and linguistic differences are greatest. The close interdependence of language and culture amplifies the gap, such that communication difficulties in these communities run deeper than language barriers alone.

Life expectancy for Indigenous Australians living in remote areas is considerably shorter than for those living in rural and urban areas.6 Figures are not available for the life expectancy of native speakers of Indigenous languages as a cohort, but the gap in life expectancy exceeds 16 years for Indigenous people living in the Northern Territory,7 70% of whom live in remote areas, and 60–65% speak an Indigenous language at home. The life expectancy gap is, of course, multifactorial, although most studies focus on causes of death.8 The communication gap as a contributor is under-rated and under-researched.1,9

An understanding of the Indigenous language landscape is critical to improving communication. In the 2011 Australian census, 60 550 people, or 11.8% of Indigenous respondents, claimed to speak an Indigenous language at home, and 17.5% claimed not to speak English well.10

More have difficulty with specialised language, with common terms such as infection, tumour, high blood pressure, stroke and bacteria often misunderstood. Native Indigenous language speakers communicate in over 100 different traditional languages and live primarily in the NT, the Kimberley region of Western Australia, northern South Australia and northern Queensland, including Torres Strait.

None of these languages have more than 6000 speakers, and many are now reduced to a mere handful, yet each of these languages is a vast storehouse of knowledge built up over thousands of years. It can be daunting to enter a large English-speaking hospital if you communicate in a language spoken by so few people.

Speakers of some languages have shifted to dominant regional languages, such as Murrinh-Patha (Wadeye, NT), while others have shifted to a creole language, such as Kriol (the Kimberley region and the Barkly Tableland area of the NT and North West Queensland).

Aboriginal people often speak distinctive varieties of Aboriginal English that differ from mainstream English. For most Aboriginal people in remote areas, their Aboriginal English is an inter-language variety, in the same way that Japanese speakers have their own distinctive accent and turn of phrase in English, which may be a challenge for medical personnel to understand.

Data might suggest that only a small proportion (less than 10%) of Indigenous adults under 60 years do not speak English well, and that communication issues would therefore not be significant (Box 1).

However, while many speakers of Indigenous languages living in remote areas can engage with outsiders and converse in English about everyday matters, they often have a poor grasp of English when it comes to health communications and other specialised areas. In a study on comprehension of 30 common legal terms (assault, bail, guilty, warrant, etc),11 200 Yolŋu people (north-east Arnhem Land) were surveyed with over 95% unable to correctly identify the meaning of these terms (Box 2).

A parallel health study has not been conducted, but it is likely that understanding of common specialised health terms would be no better. Personal experience supports this view. In 1990, I taught a short course in medical interpreting to a group of Yolŋu students. In teaching the difference between idiomatic and literal language, I introduced an example (“He chucked his guts up”) that I thought everyone would understand. The Yolŋu students interpreted this idiom literally, thinking he ripped out his intestines and threw them in the air. Even simple little things that might be said, such as “let’s keep an eye on it”, can be baffling, because these expressions are often taken literally.

Proportion of Indigenous Australians who speak an Indigenous language and who are reported to speak English “not well” or “not at all”, 2006 and 2011*

Yolŋu comprehension of 30 common legal terms*

Misinterpretations also arise from the interface of communication and culture, here derived from differences in worldview rather than linguistics. In the 1980s, I talked with Tjapaltjarri (skin name, now deceased), a senior Pintupi Aboriginal health worker, about the location of a relative’s house in Alice Springs. Tjapaltjarri referred to various landmarks such as trees and rocks. I asked him about prominent street names including Bloomfield Street. We conversed with full understanding, but I could not follow Tjapaltjarri’s directions. I never paid attention to these landmarks, he never noticed street names. This was not a linguistic issue. It was literally a matter of different worldview. Extrapolate from this example to appreciate the difficulties first language speakers of Aboriginal languages might have in following medical explanations, even when they seemingly speak good English.

These communication gaps are confirmed in health settings. A study of Yolŋu patients undergoing dialysis in Darwin2 identified, through exit interviews, significant misunderstanding of test results despite both patient and renal nurse having revealed that they were satisfied with the communication.

Trudgen9 discusses a Yolŋu patient suffering from severe diabetes and renal failure who was able to avoid dialysis once his condition was explained to him in meaningful terms, and goes on to estimate that 75–95% of communication with Yolŋu patients fails, even with an Aboriginal health worker involved. Aboriginal health workers are not necessarily trained interpreters, nor is interpreting their primary role, although they are often expected to interpret.

How do we improve? Surprisingly simple communication methods, which are easy to teach within mainstream medical education, can help. Trudgen demonstrates how to explain to a Yolŋu patient their 2% residual renal function.9 Many Yolŋu and speakers of other Indigenous languages do not understand the concept of percentages. A picture of a kidney was drawn, shading in the 2% still functioning and showing the remainder, which was sclerosed (Box 3). The patient responded in shock and, no doubt, with better dialysis participation.

Box 3

Template to explain residual renal function of 2% (hatched area) in an otherwise sclerosed kidney (dots)

Aboriginal patients may not be as trusting of medical implements as others. Refusal of an ear examination, for example, may be overcome by allowing such a patient to look through the otoscope to understand how it works. Silence plays an important role in Indigenous cultures.9,12,13

Indigenous people often respond to questions after a prolonged pause, a concept foreign to those doctors who see silence as impolite in their own cultures. They compensate by filling the silence and disrupting Indigenous patients’ thoughts. There is a simple solution — pause and allow the patient to think.

Studies1,2,3,4,14 have identified a widespread belief among Yolŋu people that information is deliberately withheld, mirroring culturally based misconceptions that lead many professionals to believe that Aboriginal patients do not want to know or that they do not experience pain.15

However, several studies1,4,14 clearly demonstrate the desire of Aboriginal people, both from the Top End and from Central Australia, for information about their illnesses and treatment. Effective communication methods, including the use of interpreters, are grossly underutilised, and frequently there is a failure to recognise that patients do not understand.

In a study of 41 Yolŋu people, only 11 found explanations about diagnosis and treatment satisfactory.4 Other studies have shown that even when patients are satisfied, gross misunderstandings may still exist.2 Trudgen9 again gives an example of how this may occur. A doctor explained to a patient that he “could not tell conclusively why [the patient’s] heart was enlarged”. The patient subsequently interpreted this to be that the doctor had no idea why his heart was enlarged and decided not to engage in treatment. Had the doctor avoided use of “intangible” conceptual English words and vague unrevealing sentences, instead focusing on factual communication, this error could have been avoided.

A failure to develop an adequate understanding does run deeper than words. For traditionally oriented Aboriginal people living in remote areas, understanding of disease causation is fundamentally different. Serious diseases, even accidents, are often attributed to sorcery.16,17 Germ theory and the immune system are foreign concepts.

Traditionally oriented Aboriginal people typically have detailed knowledge of anatomy from hunting, butchering and observing nature,9,18 but the perceived function of the kidneys, lungs, pancreas and other internal organs may be quite different. Finding common ground between these understandings is no easy task, but it is important to understand that it may play into medical treatments in the same way as having insight into the use of alternative medicines does in other cultures.

These examples may seem plain and obvious, but astoundingly, despite the many hours dedicated to communication in medical education, such concepts are not taught. Some strategies are provided in Box 4. There is an urgent need to pay more attention to communication needs of remote Aboriginal people.

Communication strategies

A refusal to take Aboriginal languages seriously not only results directly in less than optimal medical outcomes, but also in mistrust and disengagement with the health sector and non-compliance with treatment regimens.3

An investment of time in the consult will have immense payoffs over the long term. We cannot expect our medical students and colleagues to adapt without teaching.

Concepts are simple to grasp with knowledge of the languages and cultures. Is effective establishment of the Aboriginal patient–doctor relationship not one of the more teachable aspects of communication for generations of doctors?

Education is the way forward to a practical and high impact population of medical staff who contribute to the health and pride of the people who are Australia’s national treasures.

Aboriginal Health Events / Workshops #SaveADate #NAIDOC2017 Awards close 7 April #NACCHOAGM17 and Members Meeting

Awards Funding $ and surveys OPEN

April 7  National NAIDOC Committee Award closing date to 2:00pm (AEST) Friday 7 April 2017 see below for full info

April : NACCHO #IPAG Aboriginal Health Consultation  Mylife #MyLead Consultation opens for #NATSIHP : Closes 30 April

April – May   : NEW : Get NDIS Ready with a Roadshow NSW Launched

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Events and Workshops

26- 29 April The 14 th National Rural Health Conference Cairns

29 April:14th World Rural Health Conference Cairns

10 May: National Indigenous Human Rights Awards

23-25 May Conference Aboriginal People with Disability

26 May :National Sorry day 2017

27 May to June 3 National Reconciliation Week

6 June : Stomp out the Gap : Cathy Freeman Foundation

1-2 July Aboriginal Health Conference  Perth

2-9 July NAIDOC WEEK

7 July Awabakal 40th Anniversary Dinner

8-9 August 2nd World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Viral Hepatitis Alaska in August 2017

10 October CATSINAM Professional Development Conference Gold Coast

30 October2 Nov NACCHO AGM Members Meeting Canberra Details to be released soon

27-30 November Indigenous Allied Health Australia : IAHA Conference Perth

 

If you have a Conference, Workshop Funding opportunity or event and wish to share and promote contact

Colin Cowell NACCHO Media Mobile 0401 331 251

Send to NACCHO Media mailto:nacchonews@naccho.org.au

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April 7  National NAIDOC Committee Award closing date to 2:00pm (AEST) Friday 7 April 2017

The National NAIDOC Committee have extended the 2017 National NAIDOC Award nominations to encourage more people to acknowledge the contributions and talents of outstanding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals by nominating them for a 2017 National NAIDOC Award.

Winning a National NAIDOC Award can have a significant impact not only the winner but also their family and the wider community. Award winners will have the honour of being celebrated at the highly prestigious National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony and Ball to be held in Cairns on Saturday, 1 July 2017.

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people contribute to Australian society through music, art, culture, community, education, environment, sport, employment and politics. If you know someone who you think deserves an award, the Committee encourages you to nominate them in one of the ten categories covering the fields of art, education and training, sport, environment and leadership.

The National NAIDOC Committee wish to extend the nomination closing date to 2:00pm (AEST) Friday 7 April 2017. Nomination forms can be found at http://www.naidoc.org.au

NAIDOC Week 2017 will run nationally from 2-9 July and is an occasion for all Australians to come together to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – the oldest continuing cultures on the planet.

The 2017 theme – Our Languages Matter – aims to emphasise and celebrate the unique and essential role that Indigenous languages play in cultural identity, linking people to their land and water and in the transmission of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, spirituality and rites, through story and song.

For more information including competition and nomination forms and ideas on how to celebrate, visit www.naidoc.org.au

April : NACCHO #IPAG Aboriginal Health Consultation  Mylife #MyLead Consultation opens for #NATSIHP : Closes 30 April

My Life, My Lead is a new online public consultation portal to highlight the issues that support or impede Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have good health.

The Minister for Indigenous Health, Ken Wyatt AM, MP, said that the launch of the new portal will give more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people an opportunity to lead the discussion about the life they live now, and the life they want in the future for themselves, their families and their communities.

The Australian Government is committed to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and communities, and other stakeholders to improve progress against the goals to improve health outcomes for Indigenous Australians, and is  welcoming participation in the IPAG Consultation 2017 from a broad range of stakeholders.

You can have your say by taking part in the online submission to the IPAG consultation 2017.

The online submission will be open from Wednesday 8 March 2017 and will close 11.59 pm Sunday 30 April 2017.

April – May   : Get NDIS Ready with a Roadshow NSW Launched

ndis

The Every Australian Counts team will be hitting the road from March – May presenting NDIS information forums in the NSW regional areas where the NDIS will be rolling out from July.

We’ll be covering topics including:

  • What the NDIS is, why we need it and what it means for you
  • The changes that the NDIS brings and how they will benefit you
  • How to access the NDIS and get the most out of it

These free forums are designed for people with disability, their families and carers, people working in the disability sector and anyone else interested in all things NDIS.

Please register for tickets and notify the team about any access requirements you need assistance with. All the venues are wheelchair accessible and Auslan interpreters can be available if required. Please specify any special requests at the time of booking.

Find the team in the following locations: 

Click on a link above to register online now! 

Every Australian Counts is the campaign that brought about the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Now it is a reality, the team are focused on engaging and educating the disability sector and wider Australian community about the benefits of the NDIS and the options and possibilities that it brings.

 7 April National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers 

 

Join the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers Association (NATSIHWA) for a one day CPD networking workshop focussed on current workforce development opportunities.

Register

7 April Perth   Register Free Entry  Here

11 April Broome  Register Free Entry Here

28 June Cairns Register Free Entry Here

Upskill and strengthen your skill level in a specialised area and find out what is happening through program development, education and funding opportunities.

Hear from organisations such as: PHN Primary Heath Network, CranaPlus, Autism QLD, Rheumatic Heart, PEPA Program of Experience in the Palliative Approach, Aboriginal Learning Circle, Diabetes Australia, IBA Indigenous Business Australia, HESTA Superannuation, 1800 RESPECT, Hearing Australia and more to be annuonced in the coming months (tailored for your specific region).

Current topics on the agenda:

Who is NATSIHWA? – an update on what is happening on a national level.

NATSIHWA Membership Benefits – Why join? Access to online members portal, web resources, weekly eNewsletter and social media.

Scope of Practice – An update on the development of the national framework for the scope of practice for ATSIHW’s and ATSIHP’s.

AHPRA – Who is AHPRA and what do they do? Why register with AHPRA? CPD requirements of ongoing registration.

Modern Award – An update on the progress of the modern award process with Fair Work Australia.

Workforce Development – Career development, training opportunities, CPD Points, GNARTN Tool, Scholarships.

26- 29 April The 14 th National Rural Health Conference Cairns c42bfukvcaam3h9

INFO Register

29 April : 14th World Rural Health Conference Cairns

acrrm

The conference program features streams based on themes most relevant to all rural and remote health practitioners. These include Social and environmental determinants of health; Leadership, Education and Workforce; Social Accountability and Social Capital, and Rural Clinical Practices: people and services.

Download the program here : rural-health-conference-program-no-spreads

The program includes plenary/keynote sessions, concurrent sessions and poster presentations. The program will also include clinical sessions to provide skill development and ongoing professional development opportunities :

Information Registrations HERE

10 May: National Indigenous Human Rights Awards

nihra-2017-save-the-date-invitation_version-2

” The National Indigenous Human Rights Awards recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons who have made significant contribution to the advancement of human rights and social justice for their people.”

To nominate someone for one of the three awards, please go to https://shaoquett.wufoo.com/forms/z4qw7zc1i3yvw6/
 
For further information, please also check out the Awards Guide at https://www.scribd.com/document/336434563/2017-National-Indigenous-Human-Rights-Awards-Guide

 23-25 May Conference Aboriginal People with Disability

Save the date: Conference for #Aboriginal People with #disability May 23, 24, 25 in #WaggaWagga

On 23, 24 and 25 May 2017 FPDN is hosting a conference for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. Community members and service providers are also welcome. Sponsorship is available for First Peoples with disability.

Website

The agenda will be published in April 2017.

Download the PDF Save the Date – Living Our Way Conference

26 May :National Sorry day 2017
 
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The first National Sorry Day was held on 26 May 1998 – one year after the tabling of the report Bringing them Home, May 1997. The report was the result of an inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission into the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

27 May to June 3 National Reconciliation Week
 
 6 June : Stomp out the Gap : Cathy Freeman Foundation

More info Here

 1-2 July Aboriginal Health Conference  Perth .

We would like to invite NACCHO and any partnering organisations to submit an Abstract on these projects for consideration in our Aboriginal Health Conference taking place at the Parmelia Hilton Perth on the 1-2 July 2017.

Abstract submissions are now being invited that address Aboriginal health and well-being.

Underpinned by a strong conference theme; Champions | Connection | Culture, it will provide an inspirational platform for those with evidence based approaches, improved health outcomes and successful projects in

  • Aboriginal Health;
  • Community Engagement;
  • Education;
  • Workforce Development.

If you are currently engaged in work, research or other collaborations relating to Aboriginal health you are encouraged to submit an abstract of 300 words. Abstracts will be reviewed by our Education Steering Committee. Abstracts that fulfil the requirements as outlined in the Submissions Guidelines will be considered. Due consideration will be given to originality and quality.  Receipt of abstracts will be acknowledged within one week of them being received and successful applicants will be notified by 23 May 2017. Successful abstracts will be published in the Conference Program handbook.

Attached for your reference is the Abstract Submission Form and the Abstract Submission Guidelines.

Download Here abstract-submission-form_2017-v1

Closing date for abstract submission is Monday 10 April 2017.

Should you have any further questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Should you have any further questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact the Events team.
events@ruralhealthwest.com.au | T: 6389 4500 | F: 6389 4501
 
2-9 July NAIDOC WEEK
 
17_naidoc_logo_stacked-01

The importance, resilience and richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages will be the focus of national celebrations marking NAIDOC Week 2017.

The 2017 theme – Our Languages Matter – aims to emphasise and celebrate the unique and essential role that Indigenous languages play in cultural identity, linking people to their land and water and in the transmission of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, spirituality and rites, through story and song.

More info about events

8-9 August 2nd World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Viral Hepatitis Alaska USA

2nd World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Viral Hepatitis in Anchorage Alaska in August 2017 after the 1st which was held in Alice Springs in 2014.

Download Brochure Save the date – World Indigenous Hepatitis Conference Final
Further details are available at https://www.wipcvh2017.org/

10 October CATSINAM Professional Development Conference Gold Coast

catsinam

Contact info for CATSINAM

30 October2 Nov NACCHO AGM Members Meeting Canberra

Details to be released

27-30 November Indigenous Allied Health Australia : IAHA Conference Perth

iaha

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NACCHO eye health news : Indigenous eye health put on Coalition’s agenda

SelwynButton_LisaBriggs_JenniferGersbeck_DesleyCulpin_HughTaylor

Pictured: Selwyn Button, Lisa Briggs, Jennifer Gersbeck, Desley Culpin and Hugh Taylor

CEOs from some of Australia’s leading eye health organisations urged the Coalition to close the gap for vision in Indigenous people at a Vision Summit in Brisbane which coincides with NAIDOC Week.

More than 40 leading eye health agencies attended the Vision Summit yesterday to meet with key members of the Coalition including Peter Dutton Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing and Andrew Laming Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health.

Jennifer Gersbeck, CEO of Vision 2020 Australia, told the Coalition there was a significant disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians’ eye health and more funding was needed to make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health a priority.

“Today the eye health and vision care sector called on the Coalition to commit $53.63 million* over three years to improve Indigenous eye health should they get elected at the upcoming Federal Election,” Ms Gersbeck said.

“Improving coordination and referral pathways and improving accessibility to services is the key recommendation in the sector’s Indigenous eye health pre-election policy and funding proposal to closing the eye health and vision care gap over the next three years,” she said.

“Uncorrected refractive error, cataract, diabetic retinopathy and trachoma are the main causes of vision loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” she said.

The Coalition Shadow Minister told the Vision Summit the Coalition would improve Indigenous eye health by reducing red tape, utilising expertise and working with local communities.

NACCHO CEO Lisa Briggs said some 94 per cent of vision loss in Indigenous people is preventable or treatable but 35 per cent of Indigenous adults have never had an eye exam.

*This figure is sought within the context of a five-year funding requirement of $90.75 million as outlined in The Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision, 2012 (The Roadmap).

For more information: Louise Rudzki at Vision 2020 Australia on

(03) 9656 2020, 0414 784 359 or lrudzki@vision2020australia.org.au

logo-vision2020-australia