2019

1. 25 May Politics

   Prime Minister Scott Morrison appoints Ken Wyatt as Australia's first-ever Minister for Indigenous Australians who is actually Aboriginal.

2020

1. 19 May Politics

   For the first time in Queensland’s history, three Aboriginal MP’s hold seats in the state's Parliament: Member for Bundamba, Gubbi Gubbi man Lance McCallum, Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch and backbencher Cynthia Lui.

2. 19 May Arts Education Stamps

   

   Australia Post issues a set of four stamps to promote four recent citizen science projects from Australia. Citizen science involves public participation and collaboration in scientific research with the aim of increasing scientific knowledge.

   One stamp celebrates the Ngukurr Wi Stadi Bla Kantri ("We Study the Country" in the Kriol language) biodiversity project, a cross-cultural collaboration between the remote Aboriginal community of Ngukurr in south-east Arnhem Land and Macquarie University in Sydney.

   The Ngukurr Wi Stadi Bla Kantri project started in 2010, bringing together the Yugul Mangi Rangers, most of the residents of Ngukurr and children at Ngukurr School. It helps equip Aboriginal Elders and youth with the knowledge and tools to better understand and manage South East Arnhem Land environments. Through the project, the team is re-discovering a large and remote area unknown to Western science and working towards maintaining endangered Aboriginal bio-cultural knowledge.

3. 23 May Land & land rights

   Mining company Rio Tinto legally destroys two 46,000-year-old sites in the Juukan Gorge, Pilbara, WA, to extract $135 million worth of iron ore. Experts called it "one of the worst destructions of an archaeological site in recent memory". ^[1] The destruction was approved by the WA government's Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in 2013 under Section 18 of the WA Aboriginal Heritage Act (1972), but significant archaeological discoveries were made in 2014, including the oldest example of grindstone technology in Western Australia, and oldest bone tools found in Australia.

   Rio Tinto later apologised, but stakeholder pressure forced the resignations of Rio's chief executive, Jean-Sebastian Jacques, head of corporate relations, Simone Niven, and iron ore boss, Chris Salisbury, in September. Chairman Simon Thompson announced his resignation in March the following year.

4. 29 May Land & land rights

   The High Court upholds the Yindjibarndi people's native title rights over land in the Pilbara that includes the site of mining company Fortescue Metals Group's Solomon mine hub. The traditional custodians had first lodged a formal native title claim in 2003. The mine generates roughly $6.5 billion in revenue each year for FMG which does not pay royalties.

5. 29 May Recognition

   The Royal Australian Navy appoints its first permanent Aboriginal adviser. The role is taken by Muluridji man Lieutenant Commander Samuel Sheppard who has served the navy for more than 20 years.

2021

1. 5 May Arts

   Simon & Schuster publishes Anita Heiss' novel, Bila Yarrudhang-galang-dhuray (River of Dreams in Wiradjuri), believed to be the first title of any commercial Australian novel appearing solely in an Aboriginal language.
   

2. 13 May Politics

   Wiradjuri woman Yvonne Weldon announces to run for the Lord Mayor of Sydney, making her the first Aboriginal person to run for the position. The election will be in December.

3. 14 May Treaty

   The First People's Assembly of Victoria establishes the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission, the first truth-telling body in Australia. It is independent of both government and the Assembly. Yoo-rrook means ‘truth’ in the Wemba Wemba / Wamba Wamba language, which is spoken in the north-west region of Victoria.

4. 21 May Arts

   Gamilaroi artist Travis De Vries claims to have created the first Aboriginal non-fungible token (NFT) with his artwork Tear it Down (Cook Falling). He offers it for 1770 Tezos (tez) coins, a digital currency.

5. 26 May Recognition

   Exactly four years after it was released, the Uluru Statement from the Heart is awarded the Sydney peace prize for 2021. The judging panel said the Uluru statement was a “powerful and historic offering of peace” and a “clear and comprehensive agenda for healing and peace within our nation”. ^[2]

6. 31 May Arts

   For the first time in its 25-year history, the international Australian Fashion Week (31 May – 4 June) opens with a Welcome to Country and features two Aboriginal runways with an all-Aboriginal cast and all-Aboriginal designers, curated by Aboriginal people (runway 1: First Nations Fashion and Design (FNFD), runway 2: Indigenous Fashion Projects (IFP)).

   For a long time we've been associated with $4.99 boomerangs. No more please. We are luxury. It is an ancient, beautiful culture that has such depth and beauty.

   — Amanda Healy, Wonnarua woman, CEO of Kirrikin (Indigenous Fashion Project) ^[3]

2022

1. 2 May Self-determination

   A First Nations-led ad campaign seeks to elevate the Voice to Parliament (a demand of the Uluru Statement From the Heart) as a key issue for the May 21 federal election. It calls for a referendum, arguing that support of the Australian public would be more powerful than legislation. It it believed this is the first time the First Nations community has taken matters into their own hands in such a way during an election campaign. ^[4]

   Ad transcript

   Show

   “There comes a time for everything and everyone. For our constitution and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, that time is now.

   "Only 55 years after they were first counted in the census, but tens of thousands of years since they first worked on this land. The time has come for the Australian people to decide if we do or do not wish to formally recognise Indigenous Australians as Australia’s first people. And acknowledge that any recognition is only made meaningful with a voice.

   "We could ask the government to legislate it, but we would rather the Australian people vote for it. Just think how much more powerful it would be if the recognition hoped for by Indigenous Australians was achieved with the support of all Australians.

   "The time for a referendum has come.”

2. 3 May Arts Stamps

   In its Aboriginal Fibre Art issue, Australia Post features contemporary fibre art by Yolŋu women of the small inland community of Gapuwiyak (Lake Evella) in north-east Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Made from plant fibres such as pandanus and coloured with natural bush dyes, these objects also have profound cultural, ceremonial and symbolic significance. The stamps show a coiled basket (Lucy Malirrimurruwuy Wanapuyngu, b. 1955), a twined conical container (Mary Djupuduwuy Guyula, 1945–2005) and a coiled, flat-bottomed basket (Nancy Walinyinawuy Guyula, 1940–2017).

   

3. 3 May Arts

   At the 2022 Australian Performing Rights Association awards, 18-year-old Charlton Howard (The Kid Laroi) becomes the youngest ever winner of APRA's Song of the Year award with his hit Stay. He also won Songwriter of the Year and Most-performed Hip Hop/Rap Work for Without You.

4. 22 May Politics

   After the federal election, Anthony Albanese (Labor Party) becomes Australia's 31st prime minister. He nominates Linda Burney as Indigenous affairs minister, the first Aboriginal woman to hold this position. More than 40 First Nations candidates stood for election (at least 25 House of Representatives, 16 Senate). ^[5] The Indigenous-Aboriginal Party of Australia received 0.83% of all votes. ^[6]

   There are now 10 First Nations members of Parliament: Linda Burney (Indigenous Australians Minister), Marion Scrymgour (Labor Member for Lingiari), Gordon Reid (Labor Member for Robertson), Lidia Thorpe (Greens Senator for Victoria and spokeswoman for Indigenous Affairs), Dorinda Cox (Greens Senator for Western Australia), Malarndirri McArthy (Labor Senator for Northern Territory), Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (Country Liberal Senator for Northern Territory), Jana Stewart (Labor Senator for Victoria), Pat Dodson (Labor Senator for Western Australia), Jacqui Lambie (Jacqui Lambie Network Senator for Tasmania). ^[7]

   On behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I commit to the Uluru Statement.

   — Prime Minister-elect Anthony Albanese ^[8]

5. 24 May Arts Stamps

   A set of three stamps highlights First Nations peoples' Bush Seasonings. Plants made up about half of a traditional diet, and many native species also played an important roles as medicines, fibre and construction materials, and in ceremonies. The stamps feature Mountain Pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata), River Mint (Mentha australis) and Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora).

   

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References