Indigenous Health and Wellbeing: Culture Context and Colonisation

Community Groups

KEY MESSAGES:

• Importance of grassroots action among Indigenous LGBTIQ people to build community and support
• Working in partnership with mainstream indigenous, LGBT and HIV organisations
• Building links and alliances between men, women and sistergirls

Friday 11:00-11:30 INDIGILEZ WOMENS LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT GROUP

Tanya Quakawoot & Rocky Malone, IndigiLez Women's Leadership & Support Group

Contact: tanya.quakawoot@customs.gov.au

PRESENTERS’ BIO:

Tanya Quakawoot founded IndigiLez Womens Leadership & Support Group together with Rebecca Johnson.  Both women have a passion for leading and empowering Indigenous same sex oriented women to live healthy positive lifestyles.  They also have extensive experience working in the public service, whilst working hard to provide a service around Health & Well Being to A&TSI same sex women. Joining Tanya is IndigiLez member & GLBTI Youth Worker Rocky Malone.  Rocky has extensive experience working with young people on a wide range of GLBTI issues. She is also a major contributor to IndigiLez.

ABSTRACT:

IndigiLez women’s leadership and support group was formed in October 2008 and is in the process of expanding and creating partnerships. Rebecca Johnson and Tanya Quakawoot are the founders of IndigLez. We discovered a lack of support, resources and education for Indigenous same sex oriented women. Members of IndigiLez have presented complex issues and feel strongly that there is a  lack of support. The majority of the women feel they are a minority group inside of a minority group. Workshops conducted with women to express and identify their needs revealed complex and diverse health and mental issues around sexuality and culture. IndigiLez provides assistance and referal for health, sexual health, mental health and well being issues directly related to isolation, lack of leadership, discrimination and sexual identity. We also provide support or referral pertaining to self harming and suicide. IndigiLez recognises how different aspects of an individual’s backgrounds, beliefs and geographical location can impact upon their ability to explore sexuality and gender identity issues and their level of acceptance of these issues. IndigiLez does not have operational funding and relies on volunteers,and the use of personal equipment and volunteered time. We strive to provide support guidence,referal and counselling around oppression and false belief in women. IndigiLez empowers women’s leadership skills and encourages healthy positive life styles. IndigiLez provides a sense of belonging for Indigenous women and social and educational opportunities. IndigiLez recognises the support and assistance we recieve from QLD Carers Respite, QLD Association for Healthy Communities, Open Doors Youth Service and the Two Spirits program.

Friday 11:30-12:00 OUTBLACK - INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA'S LONGEST RUNNING GLBTIQ & SISTERGIRLS GROUP - RUNNING ON THE SMELL OF AN OILY RAG

bryan Andy, OutBlack

PRESENTER’S BIO:

bryan Andy (Yorta Yorta) is the Convenor of OutBlack, Melbourne’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GLBTIQ & Sistergirls group and is actively dedicated to promoting the visibility and acceptance of GLBTIQ culture among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities alike. He presents Black & Pink on gay and lesbian  radio station  Joy 94.9 and is the President of Ilbijerri Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Theatre. He has worked in areas as diverse as arts advocacy, broadcasting and land rights issues; and was among the first four Aboriginal people to speak in the Victorian parliament (2001). bryan currently works with the Australian Drug Foundation.

ABSTRACT:

OutBlack is Indigenous Australia’s longest-running GLBTIQ & Sistergirls group. This presentation will celebrate the achievements of OutBlack over its 13 year history and highlight the way in which OutBlack has functioned without any dedicated, ongoing support from peak bodies in the sexual health, HIV/AIDS and health promotion sector.

Intended to educate on Victorian Indigenous GLBTIQ & Sistergirl engagement, the presentation will also emphasize the need for shared responsibility among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peak bodies, agencies and services to ensure better health and social and emotional wellbeing outcomes for all.

The presentation will include the following:   A history of OutBlack who, what, where, when and why?; Who is OutBlack today?; Indigenous specific sexual health, HIV/AIDS and health promotion in Victoria; Closing the Gap and Indigenous Victorian GLBTIQ & Sistergirls; Shared Responsibility - Creating partnerships, lending support and strengthening relations; How services can be more inclusive of Indigenous GLBTIQ & Sistergirls; What do we want?; Where to from here?

Friday 12:00-12:30 MOOLAGOO MOB: A SOCIAL AND SUPPORT NETWORK FOR GLBTIQ NUNGAS IN SA

Kym Wanganeen, Liz Hurrell, Raymond Zada, Violet Buckskin, Moolagoo Mob

Contact: info@moolagoomob.com; www.moolagoomob.com

PRESENTERS’ BIO:

Violet Buckskin is a proud Ngarrindjeri and Narungga lesbian woman of South Australia who is a part of the Moolagoo Mob community. Violet also sits on the SA Statewide Young Aboriginal Women’s Committee and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Women’s Gathering 2008 – 2010.
Kym Wanganeen is a South Australian Narungga/Ngarrindjeri man with a passion for the ATSI GLBT community and this is evident in the leadership role he has adopted, along with others, in the establishment of the Moolagoo Mob.
Raymond Zada is of Aboriginal/Afghan descent with strong connections to Marree in SA’s outback. He is actively involved in IT, community broadcasting, and various sports. Raymond is dedicated to empowering individuals and communities to create positive outcomes for themselves.
Liz Hurrell is a Wirangu/Kokotha Woman from the West Coast area of South Australia who also identifies strongly with her father's country, the Narungga people.  She has an extensive background in Aboriginal Health and Community Development. Liz also uses the performing arts to educate the wider community, and celebrate Aboriginal culture, history and future.

ABSTRACT:

Moolagoo Mob is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group in South Australia which offers a social and support network for those who identify as gay, lesbian or sistergirl. We come together to build friendships, offer support to newly-identifying gay, lesbian and sistergirls, share information and celebrate our unique culture and diversity. In our presentation we will share some of our experiences working in a grass-roots Nunga peer support group.