Blak Matters

Whether you're planning some down time by the beach or pool over the holidays, or are just on the hunt for the perfect summer read, Blackfulla Bookclub and Blak Matters has you covered. Created by Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman Teela Reid and Gumbaynggirr and Barkindji woman Merinda Dutton in the midst of pandemic lockdowns, Blackfulla Bookclub started as a place to meet on Zoom and share what First Nation's stories the pair were reading outside of work. Since, it's become a place of discussion and storytelling for many, amassing followers across Australia and around the world.  For the final episode for 2023, Teela and Michael 'MC' Christian take you through the stories and poems that should be on your summer reading list. Follow Blackfulla Bookclub here: @blackfulla_bookclub  Grab your summer reading list here: The Queen is Dead, Stan Grant Living on Stolen Land, Ambelin Kwaymullina Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) Day Break, Dr Amy McQuire Welcome, Child!, Sally Morgan After Story, Professor Larissa Behrendt See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"I didn't know they had Black people down there."  Travelling as an Australian can often be filled with curious questions from foreigners - but what happens when you add being a First Nations Australian to the mix?   On this episode of Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian unpack Teela's recent and past experience's travelling overseas, the concept of being an unofficial "ambassador for Australia" when you didn't choose or be want to be one, and how national pride falls into the mix.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we head into a dry El Nino summer, we also head into one with an increased risk of bushfires and the devastating effects that can be left in their wake. But is there a better way, and better methods of controlled burning that can lower this risk?  For millennia, the First Nations people of this country utilised fire for cultural burning, alongside other land management strategies, to cultivate and ensure our land remained healthy and in balance.  Today on Blak Matters, Michael 'MC' Christian is joined by special guest Trent Nelson from Djaara, who explores the profound significance of cultural burning – not just how it works, but also the role it serves in healing both the land and its people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The extreme conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas has dominated media coverage across both the world and here in Australia, leading to intense public debate, protests and boycotts.   If you've tuned into, or attended, rallies seen across the country, you may have seen Aboriginal flags being raised alongside First Nations advocates chanting the phrase 'free Palestine'. But how do First Nations issues, and the support of Palestinian people, align?  On this episode of Blak Matters, Michael 'MC' Christian is joined by proud Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman, Dr Amy McQuire from the Queensland University of Technology School of Communications, to help us get a better understanding on why some First Nations Australians are showing support for the Palestinian people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After the deafening 'No' vote against the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament last month, many Aboriginal people are claiming this moment has signalled the end - and the death - of meaningful reconciliation in our country. In this episode of Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian unpack whether reconciliation is dead, and speak about where our focus should be for unity in our country moving forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Truth-telling seems to constantly be on the lips of politicians, activists and the media, being seen as one of the essential core pillars when it comes to how Australia can produce better outcomes for First Nations peoples.  But what is often missed is the definition of what truth-telling actually is, what it is referring to, and who benefits by increasing our capacity to tell the truth of our country. In this episode of Blak Matters, Teela and MC unpack the term and explain why our country should be focusing on truth-telling right now.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Released in 2019, In My Blood It Runs is a powerful documentary that chronicles a year in the life of ten-year-old Dujuan Hoosan as he grows up around Alice Springs. His is a Ngangkere - a healer in his community - but also find himself caught between his heritage and his place in Western culture. Now a young adult at seventeen, Dujuan joins Blak Matters to reflect on his experience almost five years after the documentary's release, and explore the thinking behind the release of his new illustrated book, also titled In My Blood It Runs. To find a copy of Dujuan's new book, which features illustrations from Archibald prize-winning First Nations artist, Blak Douglas, click this link.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It has now been almost two weeks since the referendum and the proposed Indigenous Voice to parliament was rejected. So where is our country now? While all states and territories – excluding the ACT – voted against the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, over 5.4 million Australians voted in support. So what does the outcome mean for those Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians? In this episode of Blak Matters, Teela and MC reflect on what happened, where our country is now, and what this means for both the representation of our First Nations peoples and the future relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Saturday, October 14th, Australians will finally cast their vote on whether to amend the Constitution to include an advisory body for First Nations Peoples - an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Across the year, the debate over the Voice has brought to the surface the complexity of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia. Someone caught early in the crossfire was prominent Australian journalist and First Nations Wiradjuri man Stan Grant, who left ABC’s current affairs panel show Q+A due to relentless racially charged discrimination and abuse. After spending time abroad, Stan has returned to Australia, giving a powerful speech in Darwin for the 22nd Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture on the different ways of thinking about time, and the meaning of time in our country's history.  He joins Blak Matters for the second part of a special two-part episode, to share his thoughts on the Voice, his thoughts on our country, and his thoughts on time.   Listen to part one of our special feature episode with Stan Grant here. To hear our previous episode about Stan Grant's departure from the ABC, head here. To find out more about the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, head here.  To find out where to vote in the upcoming referendum, jump on the AEC website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Saturday, October 14th, Australians will finally cast their vote on whether to amend the Constitution to include an advisory body for First Nations Peoples - an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Across the year, the debate over the Voice has brought to the surface the complexity of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia. Someone caught early in the crossfire was prominent Australian journalist and First Nations Wiradjuri man Stan Grant, who left ABC’s current affairs panel show Q+A due to relentless racially charged discrimination and abuse. After spending time abroad, Stan has returned to Australia, giving a powerful speech in Darwin for the 22nd Vincent Lingiari Memorial Lecture on the different ways of thinking about time, and the meaning of time in our country's history.  He joins Blak Matters for the first of a special two-part episode, to share his thoughts on the Voice, his thoughts on our country, and his thoughts on time.   To hear our previous episode about Stan Grant's departure from the ABC, head here. To find out more about the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, head here.  To find out where to vote in the upcoming referendum, jump on the AEC website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are less than two weeks to go until people across the country cast their vote on the referendum for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, and the creation of a proposed advisory body made up of First Nations people who would be able to advise the government on policies that affect them.  With over 900,000 Australians already making the choice to cast their vote early, there are conversations underway among friends, family and community on how people should vote on the Voice. This week on Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian are joined again by Whadjuk Noongar journalist Narelda Jacobs OAM to explore the conversations she's been having while travelling across Australia to report on the Voice, and what she wants you to consider before you cast your vote. Catch up on The Point: Referendum Road Trip with John Paul Janke and Narelda Jacobs here. For more information on early voting centres check out the Australian Electoral Commission FAQ page here.  Listen back to our chat with Narelda Jacobs and her feelings around becoming an OAM here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you'd like to be one, what does a good ally actually look like? Is slapping a temporary tile up on social media every January 26th enough? Or should non-Indigenous people be wearing First Nations branded clothing, or using Aboriginal slang like 'deadly' or 'gammin'? Is buying First Nations art okay? What about playing a didgeridoo?  In this episode, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian discuss what being an ally is, what it isn't, and how to ensure that if you're aiming to be an ally, you're doing it with authenticity and meaning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rachel Perkins is a director, producer, screenwriter, presenter, and activist. Her over 30 years of work has garnered much acclaim, with projects focusing on Australian Aboriginal stories including Jasper Jones and Mystery Road. Her latest work, The Australian Wars, explores the many frontier wars and genocide that occurred across the country from the First Fleet landing in 1788 through to the 1920s, and recently took out the 2023 Logie for Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program. Currently co-chair for the Yes23 campaign, she joins Teela to talk about what drives and inspires her, the highs and lows of the referendum lead-up, and why she is working so hard to try and get the Yes vote over the line.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the whole country collective backed our bid for the FIFA World Cup trophy last month, new and old fans alike marvelled at the individual histories and efforts of players coming together to make the Matildas.  One of those players is proud Anaiwan and Biripi woman, Kyah Simon.  The first Indigenous Australian player to score a goal in any FIFA Women’s World Cup, she also converted a winning goal in 2010 to help claim the Asian Cup for Australia. Not to mention starring in the 2015 World Cup, 2018 and 2022 Asian Cups, 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, and was part of our team during the latest World Cup here in Australia. On Blak Matters this week, she joins Teela Reid to take us through the massive highs and lows of the recent World Cup effort, and what it means to be a First Nations player on the Australian squad.  ICYMI, listen to our recent episode about the surprising link between Indigenous Australia and soccer you might not know about here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Australia nears our referendum to vote on including an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in our Constitution, how does it compare to how our major neighbour New Zealand represents First Nations Peoples? The Treaty of Waitangi - an agreement between the British Crown and Maori Chiefs - was signed in 1840. Has it had positive consequences for the Maori people? Or are there still difficulties interpreting a document written and agreed upon so long ago?   This week on Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian are joined by Professor Dominic O’Sullivan, proud Māori man and expert on the politics of Indigenous peoples, on the differences between the invasion of New Zealand and Australia, why New Zealand has a treaty and we don’t, and what we can learn from their example.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, has officially announced that the country will go to the polls on Saturday, October 14th to vote on both the constitutional recognition of First Nations Australians and the creation of a Voice to Parliament.  Now that we know the date we'll be voting, what can we expect for the next six weeks of the Yes and No campaigns, and what do you need to know before you vote?  This week on Blak Matters Teela Reid is joined by John Paul Janke, co-host of NITV flagship Indigenous news and current affairs show 'The Point', to take us through what we can expect before we're asked to cast our vote.   For more information on the referendum and your voting requirements check out the Australian Electoral Commission FAQ page here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you catch Matildas madness when the national team made it into the top four for the FIFA Women's World Cup? From Tillies team members Kyah Simon and Karen Menzies, to history-making athletes like Cathy Freeman, Ash Barty, Nicky Winmar and Patty Mills, First Nations athletes have been at the forefront of Australia's sporting successes. But did you know that a version of the round ball game was played by Indigenous Australians in 1857? This week on Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian catch up with Emeritus Professor John Maynard to learn more about the surprising link between soccer and our First Nations. Purchase a copy of Professor Maynard's book, The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe, and listen to our full interview with former Jillaroos' Assistant Coach for the Women's Rugby League World Cup and current Pathways Strategy Manager for the NRL Jessica Skinner here.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What were you taught about First Nations' history at school? Changes are being proposed in NSW to include teaching Indigenous Australians' experience of European settlement for high school students across the state. This week Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian reflect on what they were taught in school, and how language like 'terra nullius' or stating when Australia was 'discovered' impacts our perception of First Nations peoples both in the present and into the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will a Voice to Parliament consult on parking tickets? Does the referendum seek to put race in the constitution? Will a 'Yes' vote lead to a slow down in democratic process?  This week Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian are again joined by lawyer, researcher, and Griffith Law School lecturer Eddie Synot to tackle some key questions surfacing about the Voice. Listen to Part 1 of the Blak Matters misinformation and disinformation special focus here https://tr.ee/GvuD_vp1K7 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the referendum on a Voice to Parliament approaches, conflicting information surrounding its function and impact on First Nations peoples is increasing - so how can you tell what's truthful and what's not?  In this episode of Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian sit down with lawyer, researcher, and Griffith Law School lecturer Eddie Synot to find out the distinction between misinformation and disinformation, and what you can do to make sure you're getting the facts you need.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.