This time of year, as we restock classroom supplies, there is a lot of conversation about where to buy Aboriginal education resources and other items - that is items that are about Aboriginal people, represent Aboriginal people or are items based on Aboriginal culture and authentic cultural expression. This conversation has gotten greater each year as awareness of the importance of buying Blak spreads, so I really like that the conversation is happening. It is a really important conversation.

So it is that time of year again. January 26th. Invasion Day. Survival Day. Australia Day. No matter what you call it, there is no escaping the exhausting, frustrating and often anger-inducing conversations that come with it.

Earlier this year, I was invited to participate in a truth telling session hosted by the Art and Culture Exchange on Burramattagal Country. The session was part of the 23rd Sydney Biennale and brought together Darug custodians and the National Committee of the Friends of Myall Creek to yarn about frontier conflict and healing.

​Reconciliation is a big word that echoes louder and louder as time pounds ever forward. It means different things to different people. To some, it is a token gesture, a week in the year in which a word is repeated to tick political boxes.

April 22 is Earth Day, a day when people all over the world focus on caring for the earth and protecting the planet from things like pollution and deforestation. The day brings focus to the environmental challenges our world is facing and raises awareness not only of the problem but also the things we can all do to help make a healthier planet.

It’s the great debate we have every year – should we be celebrating our great country on the day that began the destruction of our First Nations cultures? Is a day of mourning really the right day for this celebration? Communities are still living with ongoing trauma resulting from invasion – from massacres, strategic attempts at genocide, abuse and bias.

With Sorry Day coming up, this time of year is a time when we see people starting to reflect on the past treatment of Aboriginal people and the impact of removal policies that created the Stolen Generations. People come together to offer acknowledgement and support to Aboriginal communities who live with the ongoing trauma of the past.

When I was in my first year of Uni I found myself in a conversation about Aboriginal people and all the things wrong with them. It was a conversation fuelled by misconceptions and stereotypes perpetuated by mainstream media. I wondered if anyone present had actually ever met an Aboriginal person.

I have started this post about six times now. I honestly don’t know what to write about Black Lives Matter and the racism debate that is raging in Australia right now. As an Aboriginal woman it is overwhelming.

Tip 1: Participate in a simultaneous learning experience with “All Together Now for Reconciliation”.

A few months ago I went to a networking meeting – an opportunity to meet with other business people in the area in the hope of meeting some like-minded people who might one day be interested in collaborating on a project.

The month of September focusses on bringing awareness to suicide prevention with two key events, World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September) and R U OK? Day (12 September).

We often hear the phrase “Australia’s dark past” in reference to unpleasant aspects of post-colonial history in this country.

In 2014 I was working for the Australian Government in an Aboriginal Liaison type position and I was also the President of my local AECG. The NAIDOC theme that year was about those who served.

I was glad when the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, made the very remarkable apology to the Stolen Generation. I remember watching the apology in the office – it is a day I will always remember.

​Every time I hear someone say that racism is not a problem in Australia I am surprised because racism is an everyday factor in the lives of Aboriginal people. Regardless of our age, skin colour and social status we are disadvantaged every day due to attitudes and actions based on our Aboriginality.