Voices From The Kimberley
Donation protected
"A project dedicated to empowering our Nations First People by providing them with a platform to be heard and understood, delving into the heartbreaking reality of the Aboriginal Youth Suicide Crisis, that is unfolding right before us."
A Brief Spiel:
We would like our documentary to uncover truths about what is really happening in rural Aboriginal communities, by providing an opportunity for local Aboriginal people to share their stories, concerns and ideas for the future. In creating an accurate depiction of Aboriginal Australia, we will stray from the stereotypes constructed by mainstream media and provide those who have been oppressed with an opportunity to be heard. We believe that the best people to come up with long term solutions for the future, are those who are living this reality right now - Hopefully through voicing their practical ideas and showcasing how they are effective, we can assist in bringing them to fruition by creating a heightened national awareness. We will be delving deeper into the alarmingly high Aboriginal youth suicide rates and showcasing the underlying causes for the incredibly high rates of mental illness amongst Indigenous Australians.
Our Story:
In recent times rural Aboriginal communities across Australia, particularly in WA, have been dealing with tragic and alarmingly high rates of youth suicide. In the last year, many children have taken their own lives, with several of the victims aged under 15 years old. Sadly, the mainstream media hasn’t provided much coverage regarding these issues which means many Australians remain unaware of the tragic circumstances engulfing our Aboriginal communities across Australia.
As of 15 January 2019, there were 5 Aboriginal youth suicides in the WA and a sixth in hospital from a suspected attempt. This number has gradually crept up over the weeks. The Kimberley region has the highest Indigenous suicide rate in Australia and the ABS found that Indigenous children aged between 5 and 17 years old died from suicide-related deaths at five times the rate of non-Indigenous children. 1 in 4 people who take their lives before the age of 18 are Indigenous children and in the last year, 40 percent of youth suicides in Australia were Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders.
A recent inquest failed to hear the voices of those truly impacted by these circumstances, as many of the local community members from these rural areas were understandably uncomfortable with the court setting and the processes in place.
As a team, we have been deeply impacted by the horrific outcomes being endured by our Nation’s First People, and even more alarmed at the oppression of their voices. We want to give them the opportunity to tell their stories, to share their truths and to discuss their ideas for possible solutions and long-term plans to rectify some of the social issues that have been inherent in these communities since colonisation.
We will be travelling to rural communities to film the things that never make it to air, to speak to the people who want to share their stories but haven’t been given a proper chance and most importantly, to give Aboriginal Australians the opportunity to regain control of the narrative and provide an accurate depiction of what really goes on within these communities - without playing into the cookie cutter approach that the mainstream media have established and perpetuated for so long.
We are of the belief, that there are solutions to the social and cultural problems prevalent in rural communities, however we believe that the government and its organisations need to stop treating things symptomatically - While we acknowledge that the drug and alcohol, mental illness, health and education programs and facilities are important, we also believe that they may be a band-aid approach and hope to get to the bottom of why these issues are so much more prevalent in Aboriginal communities, when compared to the wider Australia and the greater world.
Perhaps, we need to start righting the wrongs of colonisation by revitalising access to traditional and cultural practices and systems. But who better to ask than those who live within these communities and amongst this anguish and tragedy? We want the perspectives of those who live this reality and we want to hear their ideas about solutions that may make a true difference.
Why We Are Fundraising:
The cause that motivates this project, is one that we are all very passionate about and touched by, and because of how important this is to us, we are willing to use our personal savings to fund this trip.
However, as many of our supporters already know, we have been lucky enough to generate funds through a crowdfunding campaign that has been running over the last couple of weeks - We were truly overwhelmed by it's success.
After parting ways with one of our team members, the campaign on that platform was closed down and by default, full refunds were issued. We have set this campaign up, so that people who wish to continue supporting this project can redirect any refunds via the kickstarter platform. We also hope that this new campaign will allow us to continue to raise funds, and creates a broader outreach to generate more support for our project.
If you donated to our previous campaign via paypal, we have received your donation and redirected it into this new campaign. However, if you would like that donation to be refunded in full, please get in touch with me at: [email redacted]
Who We Are:
Three Aboriginal women who are deeply passionate about making a difference for our people.
Donna Syron: This whole concept was originally the brainchild of Donna, a passionate Aboriginal woman and activist who has worked extensively with Indigenous children. Donna is responsible for conducting relevant research for the project, and forging strong relationships with communities leaders who are willing to partake.
Leanne Howard: Currently completing a Masters of Public Health Specialising in Aboriginal Health & Well Being, Leanne is a passionate Aboriginal activist who works actively on suicide prevention projects. She is also a proud Biripi woman who has been deeply touched by the heartbreaking effects of suicide and will be offering her expertise and compassion to bring the project to life and ensure that interviewees receive ongoing support and empathy from all team members.
Mikele Syron: A young Biripi woman and a journalist who is passionate about social justice and Indigenous affairs. Mikele will be conducting one-on-one interviews with the people ensuring that ethical standards are maintained. Her goal is to empower the people and create awareness by sharing their stories.
We appreciate your ongoing support.
A Brief Spiel:
We would like our documentary to uncover truths about what is really happening in rural Aboriginal communities, by providing an opportunity for local Aboriginal people to share their stories, concerns and ideas for the future. In creating an accurate depiction of Aboriginal Australia, we will stray from the stereotypes constructed by mainstream media and provide those who have been oppressed with an opportunity to be heard. We believe that the best people to come up with long term solutions for the future, are those who are living this reality right now - Hopefully through voicing their practical ideas and showcasing how they are effective, we can assist in bringing them to fruition by creating a heightened national awareness. We will be delving deeper into the alarmingly high Aboriginal youth suicide rates and showcasing the underlying causes for the incredibly high rates of mental illness amongst Indigenous Australians.
Our Story:
In recent times rural Aboriginal communities across Australia, particularly in WA, have been dealing with tragic and alarmingly high rates of youth suicide. In the last year, many children have taken their own lives, with several of the victims aged under 15 years old. Sadly, the mainstream media hasn’t provided much coverage regarding these issues which means many Australians remain unaware of the tragic circumstances engulfing our Aboriginal communities across Australia.
As of 15 January 2019, there were 5 Aboriginal youth suicides in the WA and a sixth in hospital from a suspected attempt. This number has gradually crept up over the weeks. The Kimberley region has the highest Indigenous suicide rate in Australia and the ABS found that Indigenous children aged between 5 and 17 years old died from suicide-related deaths at five times the rate of non-Indigenous children. 1 in 4 people who take their lives before the age of 18 are Indigenous children and in the last year, 40 percent of youth suicides in Australia were Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders.
A recent inquest failed to hear the voices of those truly impacted by these circumstances, as many of the local community members from these rural areas were understandably uncomfortable with the court setting and the processes in place.
As a team, we have been deeply impacted by the horrific outcomes being endured by our Nation’s First People, and even more alarmed at the oppression of their voices. We want to give them the opportunity to tell their stories, to share their truths and to discuss their ideas for possible solutions and long-term plans to rectify some of the social issues that have been inherent in these communities since colonisation.
We will be travelling to rural communities to film the things that never make it to air, to speak to the people who want to share their stories but haven’t been given a proper chance and most importantly, to give Aboriginal Australians the opportunity to regain control of the narrative and provide an accurate depiction of what really goes on within these communities - without playing into the cookie cutter approach that the mainstream media have established and perpetuated for so long.
We are of the belief, that there are solutions to the social and cultural problems prevalent in rural communities, however we believe that the government and its organisations need to stop treating things symptomatically - While we acknowledge that the drug and alcohol, mental illness, health and education programs and facilities are important, we also believe that they may be a band-aid approach and hope to get to the bottom of why these issues are so much more prevalent in Aboriginal communities, when compared to the wider Australia and the greater world.
Perhaps, we need to start righting the wrongs of colonisation by revitalising access to traditional and cultural practices and systems. But who better to ask than those who live within these communities and amongst this anguish and tragedy? We want the perspectives of those who live this reality and we want to hear their ideas about solutions that may make a true difference.
Why We Are Fundraising:
The cause that motivates this project, is one that we are all very passionate about and touched by, and because of how important this is to us, we are willing to use our personal savings to fund this trip.
However, as many of our supporters already know, we have been lucky enough to generate funds through a crowdfunding campaign that has been running over the last couple of weeks - We were truly overwhelmed by it's success.
After parting ways with one of our team members, the campaign on that platform was closed down and by default, full refunds were issued. We have set this campaign up, so that people who wish to continue supporting this project can redirect any refunds via the kickstarter platform. We also hope that this new campaign will allow us to continue to raise funds, and creates a broader outreach to generate more support for our project.
If you donated to our previous campaign via paypal, we have received your donation and redirected it into this new campaign. However, if you would like that donation to be refunded in full, please get in touch with me at: [email redacted]
Who We Are:
Three Aboriginal women who are deeply passionate about making a difference for our people.
Donna Syron: This whole concept was originally the brainchild of Donna, a passionate Aboriginal woman and activist who has worked extensively with Indigenous children. Donna is responsible for conducting relevant research for the project, and forging strong relationships with communities leaders who are willing to partake.
Leanne Howard: Currently completing a Masters of Public Health Specialising in Aboriginal Health & Well Being, Leanne is a passionate Aboriginal activist who works actively on suicide prevention projects. She is also a proud Biripi woman who has been deeply touched by the heartbreaking effects of suicide and will be offering her expertise and compassion to bring the project to life and ensure that interviewees receive ongoing support and empathy from all team members.
Mikele Syron: A young Biripi woman and a journalist who is passionate about social justice and Indigenous affairs. Mikele will be conducting one-on-one interviews with the people ensuring that ethical standards are maintained. Her goal is to empower the people and create awareness by sharing their stories.
We appreciate your ongoing support.
Fundraising team (2)
Mikele Syron
Organizer
Lilyfield, NSW
Leanne Howard
Team member