Reconciliation resources
There is a huge array of material available that can help you to learn more about Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements.
We invite you to regularly visit these resources – to ‘take five’ and listen to some music, find something to share with your team each week, or to help you organise an ongoing film or book club.
Share Our Pride
The Share Our Pride interactive learning from Reconciliation Australia is a highly recommended resource and is designed to you a glimpse of how life looks from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander perspective.
Key organisations
Reconciliation Australia is the lead body for reconciliation in Australia and are the coordinators of Reconciliation Action Plans.
Aboriginal Affairs is the lead agency for OCHRE (opportunity, choice, healing, responsibility, empowerment), the NSW Government’s community-focused plan for Aboriginal affairs.
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is a world-renowned research, collections and publishing organisation. They promote knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, traditions, languages and stories, past and present.
The Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc (NSW) is the peak community advisory body to the department on Aboriginal education at all levels and in all stages of planning and decision making. Learn more about our partnership.
Sports events
NSW Sports have a helpful resource for learning more about (and playing!) traditional indigenous games.
Films
A Film Club is a great way to share and to learn more. The SBS Reconciliation Film Club is a great resource.
There are many other films that can bring people together to develop a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ perspectives and histories and that celebrate achievements and cultures. For example:
- Radiance (1998)
- Rabbit Proof Fence (2002)
- The Sapphires (2012)
- Bran Nue Dae (2009)
- Samson & Delilah (2009)
- Ten Canoes (2006)
- Charlie’s Country (2013)
Podcasts
Little Yarns is an ABC podcast for kids. Each episode will take you on a journey to a different Nation; to listen to the sounds of Country, share some language and have a little yarn.
The 2019 Boyer Lectures were delivered by film-maker Rachel Perkins and centre of the Uluru statement from the heart.
There are many podcast series that are created Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and/or focus on issues relevant to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience. For example:
TV
Walking Together, ABC is a collection of episodes from various programs that listen, learn and share stories from across the country, that unpack the truth telling of our history and embrace the rich cultures and languages of Australia’s First Peoples.
Short films and animations
Reconciliation Australia’s YouTube Channel is a significant resource. The Apology documentary, Who We Are series and Narragunnawali series are particularly informative.
The Healing Foundation’s YouTube Channel has videos that explain the impact of intergenerational trauma and the Telling Our Stories series highlight the personal stories members of the Stolen Generations and their families.
There are many TEDx presentations about Aboriginal histories and cultures. For example, Keep our languages alive: Kylie Farmer and A real history of Aboriginal Australians, the first agriculturalists: Bruce Pascoe.
Books
Books for children
- ‘Young Dark Emu’, Bruce Pascoe (2019)
- ‘Our Home, Our Heartbeat’, Adam Briggs (2020)
- Somebody’s Land: Welcome to Our Country, Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing (2021)
- ‘Respect’, Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson (2020)
- ‘Finding Our Heart: A story about the Uluru Statement for young Australians’, Thomas Mayor (2020)
Books for adults
There are many books that are excellent for a Reconciliation book club. For example:
- ‘Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray’, Anita Heiss (2021)
- ‘The Yield’, Tara June Winch (2019)
- 'Jack Charles: A Born-again Blakfella', Jack Charles & Namilia Benson (2019)
- ‘Too Much Lip’, Melissa Lucashenko (2018)
- ‘Talking to my Country’, Stan Grant (2016)
- Sister Heart, Sally Morgan (2015) (Young Adult)
- ‘Dark Emu’, Bruce Pascoe (2014)
- Too Afraid to Cry, Ali Cobby Eckermann (2013)
- ‘Mullumbimby’, Melissa Lucashenko (2013)
- ‘The Swan Book’, Alexis Wright (2013)
- Am I Black Enough for You?’ Anita Hess (2012)
- ‘That Deadman Dance’, Kim Scott (2010)
Music in language
This Spotify playlist from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is of songs in language.
For non-Spotify users these are some top hits:
- King Stingray, ‘Milkumana’ - ‘Milkumana’ is a Yolgnu Matha word which means to show, share or pass on knowledge through stories and song
- Baker Boy, ‘Marryuna’ - the title means ‘to dance with no shame’, in Yolgnu Matha language
- Skinnyfish Sound System, ‘Smoking Ceremony’ B2M, Birdz & Tasman Keith are saying it is time for a cleansing national Smoking Ceremony
- Emily Wurramara, ‘Ngarrukwujenama’ The title is the Anindilyakwa word for “I’m hurting” , the song was written in response to mining on Groote Eylandt
- Black Arm Band ‘Far Away From Home/Gungalaira’ From the award-winning film The Tracker
Music by Indigenous composers
- Pecan Summer, composed by Deborah Cheetham AO
- Kalkadungu, composed by Matthew Hindson and William Barton (note that Matthew Hindson is not an Aboriginal person)