First Nations First

First Nations First

Follow stories concerning First Nations peoples and Indigenous Australia, with this collection of reports and interviews from the SBS News team.

Episodes

October 3, 2025 7 mins
Nearly two years after the failed referendum saw a First Nations voice to parliament shot down, some NGOs and state governments have been taking the initiative to follow the wishes of the majority of Indigenous communities in Australia who voted for this special representation. Australia's principal non-government organisation for public health, the Public Health Association of Australia, has announced they will be instituting an A...
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This weekend will see the largest annual gathering of Indigenous people in the country at the New South Wales Koori knockout rugby league tournament. It's a sporting competition... but also, so much more.
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The Public Health Association of Australia has announced they will be establishing an Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander voice to help guide their work after a near unanimous vote by their members. Nearly two years after the failed referendum saw a First Nations voice to parliament shot down, NGOs like the PHAA and state governments have chosen to follow the wishes of the majority of Indigenous communities in Australia who voted...
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A group of young First Nations men and women have blazed their way through a training program for firefighter hopefuls. The initiative is a partnership between TAFE and the New South Wales Fire Service - to help young Indigenous people get into their dream job.
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South Australia's algal bloom continues to spread, leading to significant environmental, ecological and mental health harm. Those impacts have been heard at a Senate inquiry examining support arrangements for those affected, but also long-term prevention strategies.
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The Northern Territory has been engulfed by significant backlash regarding the sentencing of a driver who fatally struck an Aboriginal man in a hit and run and his familial connection to the Territory's Attorney General. First Nations communities and legal experts argue the sentence given to Jake Danby, a 12-month community corrections order, is inconsistent with the 'tough on crime' approach of the Country Liberal Party government...
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In Western Australia's Wheatbelt, a region long shaped by industrial farming practices, a new model of regenerative agriculture is taking root. At Yaraguia farm, Ballardong Noongar man Oral McGuire is healing Country, reconnecting First Nations knowledge of caring for Country with modern land management to restore ecosystems and produce food that benefits both the land and the community.
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Politicians are warning against the risks of extremism and political violence, after rival rallies were held in Australia's capital cities and regional centres.
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An Aboriginal gathering place and burial ground was attacked in Melbourne on Sunday by participants in the city's anti-immigration rallies. Police are investigating the incident, which witnesses say involved self-proclaimed neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell and up to 100 others. The incident has been condemned by political leaders, with Senator Lidia Thorpe calling for a federal inquiry.
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This week marks the 50th anniversary since the Gurindji land handback, an historic turning point for Aboriginal land rights in Australia. Fifty years on, people from all over Australia have gathered for the Gurindji Freedom Day Festival to celebrate the anniversary of the land hand-back, and remember the iconic events of the 1966 Wave Hill Walk Off.
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Surrounded by the stringybark forest of Northeast Arnhem Land, a group of Yolngu cultural educators are passing on knowledge of bush medicine to a new wave of First Nations doctors. The remote placement, formed in partnership with Flinders University, explores traditional healing methods, while building cultural awareness in modern practices.
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Around Australia, some educational and fun workshops for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are aiming to contribute to an inclusive and diverse future science and technology workforce. Victoria’s largest health service and an Indigenous-owned organisation are helping to guide students from an Aboriginal high school to meaningful STEM related career pathways.
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An art exhibition in Melbourne is showcasing the work of three Aboriginal sisters in a collection entitled 'Connected Through Country'. Artists Amunda, Grace and Myra Gorey own their own art collective called No Fixed Gallery, which is dedicated to celebrating 65,000 years of Arrernte culture through contemporary art. In this episode of Weekend One on One, Biwa Kwan spoke with Amunda Gorey about the inspiration for the latest colle...
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The very first Garma Festival was held just before the turn of the millennium in 1999, led by the late Yunupingu. But the mission of its founders remains: to be a cross-cultural meeting of leaders to discuss improving standards of living for all First Nations people. And a warning - this feature contains the voice of someone who has died.
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The Northern Territory is the worst-performing jurisdiction in the country on Closing the Gap, new data has revealed. Youth advocates and experts have condemned a string of recent NT Government reforms amid worsening progress on incarceration and youth detention. It comes as Indigenous leaders prepare to meet with the Prime Minister at the annual Garma Festival in north-east Arnhem Land this weekend.
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July 23, 2025 24 mins
Who gets awarded for bravery and why? In the final episode of Uncle Charlie: The Invisible Hero, host Paulien Roessink speaks to community members who know a lot about awarding bravery. We’ll hear from David Arden, the president of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, and Michael Bell, Indigenous Liaison for the Australian War Memorial, alongside previous guests of the series. We'll find out why people still think formal recogn...
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A new report has found that First Nations Australians are twice as likely as other Australians to have trouble accessing their superannuation. The independent research highlights the systemic barriers First Nations peoples face which include rigid policies, inaccessible customer service and a lack of accountability. Financial counsellors say reforms are badly needed to address this.
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An Indigenous-owned business in Western Australia is drawing on traditional knowledge to bring back Australia's first ever export - the sea cucumber. Tidal Moon exports the coveted delicacy to South East Asia, creating employment in a region where jobs are limited.
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July 16, 2025 21 mins
Two years after the Broome air raid—when Japanese Zero fighter planes attacked and more than 80 lives were lost—local Bardi man Charles D’Antoine was awarded a medal by the Kingdom of the Netherlands for saving three Dutch nationals. Now, 83 years on, the Australian government has yet to formally acknowledge Uncle Charlie’s act of bravery. In the second episode of this 3-part series, host Paulien Roessink finds out who Uncle Charli...
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July 16, 2025 28 mins
On a hot autumn day in Broome, 1942 a young Indigenous man named Charles D’Antoine is cleaning boat planes along Roebuck Bay. Charles, also known as Uncle Charlie to his loved ones, couldn’t have imagined the carnage that was about to be unleashed on this small regional town. Japanese Zero fighter planes launched a devastating air raid on Broome, leaving approximately 80 people dead. Amid the chaos, Uncle Charlie saved the lives of...
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