Aboriginal Way

Pilot Indigenous coding program Indigi Code has been established for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students with the hope they will be able to gain future employment and work remotely in the digital space.

Indigi Code, a partnership between programming education provider 42 Adelaide and the Aboriginal Biodiversity Conservation (ABC) Foundation had its first session at Nguta College in September, with 20 students participating in a week-long course designed for entry-level coders.

The free program offers a “gamified” peer-to-peer study experience, with students learning from other students through engagement-style learning.  

ABC Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation established in WA, with its flagship program providing services to benefit on-Country education programs and 42 Adelaide is a non-profit coding school.

Both organisations hope to expand from this initial pilot program with the scope to include other schools if the right interest and funding is found.

Early last week, on September 23rd, the Nauo people’s final active native title application, Nauo #2, came to a successful conclusion from the Federal Court of Australia.

Judge Justice O’Bryan handed down his verdict electronically from the Federal Court, giving the Nauo people native title rights and interests over the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula.

Today, we’re speaking with Nauo Co-Chair Michael Miller, who is Co-Chair alongside Danielle James.

Mayibarrdu or Goose Island, off the West Coast of the Yorke Peninsula in the Spencer Gulf of South Australia, will return to the hands of its Traditional Owners, the Narungga Nation.

This is following the Federal Court’s March 2023 recognition of the Narungga people as Native Title holders of the whole of the Yorke Peninsula.

The island has been leased exclusively to private school Scotch College since 1966 through the Department of Environment and Water.

Mayiburrdu is a small, rocky island west of Point Pearce. It is about 550 metres off the northern end of the much larger Wardang Island.

Today on Aboriginal Way, we’re speaking to Doug Milera, CEO of Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation.

Many Australians, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, have felt overwhelming disappointment since Australia voted "no" in the referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Nearly a year later, people are looking for a way to move forward from this.

After writing the Voice to Parliament Handbook with journalist Kerry O'Brien in the lead-up to the referendum, respected Indigenous advocate Thomas Mayo has found that people are again looking to him for guidance. He has just published a new book called Always Was, Always Will be: The Campaign for Justice and Recognition Continues, offering a formula to get to a place of justice and recognition for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Mayo was a signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart in May 2017 after helping to develop it. He has been a leading campaigner for its proposals for a Voice to Parliament and a Makarrata Commission, and has had more than 20 years experience in advocacy and leadership.

Mayo, a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal Torres Strait islander man, joins us on the podcast today.

On August 29, water was released from the Beetaloo Reservoir in an effort to preserve ancient river red gums and assist Nukunu to care for and connect to Country.

They follow trial water releases from the Baroota Reservoir a couple weeks prior, and similar releases from the Beetaloo and Baroota reservoirs in 2021 and 2022. These releases were in response to community concern about the health of the ancient trees, many of which are estimated to be more than 500 years old.

More than a billion litres of water from the two releases will flow into Baroota and Crystal Brook creeks in an effort to improve the resilience of the river red gums and refresh natural habitats for frogs, fish, birds and bugs.

 Project partners and local community will monitor and record progress of the water flowing along the creeks to safeguard creek infrastructure and surrounding properties, while also surveying the response of water-dependent animals.

 The releases are part of the collaborative Environmental and Cultural Flows project, led by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board with support from SA Water, the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), Flinders University, Nukunu Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation and local communities.

 Aboriginal Way attended the Beetaloo water release, just outside of Crystal Brook, and interviewed Nukunu Wapma Thura Aboriginal Corporation chair Travis Thomas, Nukunu Elder Laurie Thomas, DEW senior ecologist, Dr Douglas Green and Northern and Yorke Landscape Board planning officer Jennifer Munro.