Faith Thomas AM, the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person to play for Australia in any sport, has died at aged 90.

The Adnyamathanha woman, who was born at the Nepabunna Aboriginal Mission in 1933 to an Aboriginal mother and German father was selected to play cricket for South Australia in the 1950’s, before going on to play Test Cricket for Australia against England at Melbourne's Junction Oval in 1958 as a fast bowler.

Thomas remains one of just four Indigenous Australians to have played in Test for Australia, alongside Jason Gillespie, Ash Gardner and Scott Boland.

A survivor of the Stolen Generations policy, Aunty Faith was raised at Colebrook Home in the Finders Rangers alongside friend Lowitja O’Donoghue, and both women were among the first group of Aboriginal nurses to graduate from the Royal Adelaide Hospital in the 1950’s.

In 2019, she was awarded the Order of Australia for her services to cricket and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The Adelaide Strikers also

Aboriginal Way did an interview about the life of Faith Thomas AM a couple of years ago with Tyson Baird, who bonded with her over a shared love of cricket whilst working as an Occupational Therapist in her hometown of Port Augusta. He then went on to co-produce the 2021 NITV documentary about her life called “Before Her Time”, which is available to watch on SBS on Demand, available to watch here - Before Her Time | SBS On Demand

Please enjoy this repeat episode of Aboriginal Way, and note that Thomas's family have granted permission to use her name and images.

“There’s a sense of excitement that something really big is growing from this and it’s encompassing not just the school, but everything around the school that’s linked to it… I’m awed that my boys get to have this experience and know that it will be a visible part of their lives forevermore. It’s not going to be this hidden, misunderstood almost myth that you hear about as a child, that’s edited so heavily.

These children have now got truth, they’ve got connection to Kaurna people, to the culture. They’ve got an experience of that culture that

Aboriginal Way recently visited Upper Sturt Primary School to learn about its Kaurna Program led by Kaurna Elder Uncle Tamaru, which only began in 2021, but is already going from strength to strength.

When these children have the right to be a Governor, a Premier, a lawyer; when something about Aboriginal people crosses their bench, they’re not going to put it in the too hard basket – they’re actually going to deal with it because they will say ‘I know this culture, I know the people. I know Uncle, he’s pretty cool – he rides a Harley! Let’s work with them’.” - Uncle Tamaru

Kaurna Program at Upper Sturt Primary School - SA Native Title (nativetitlesa.org)

Over the last two days, the Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, the Federal Attorney-General Julian Leeser, the Special Envoy for Reconciliation and the Implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart Pat Dodson, met with the Federal Voice to Parliament Referendum Working Group and Referendum Engagement Group on Kaurna Land.

The Working Group also met with Acting Premier Susan Close and the SA Attorney General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Kyam Maher, to discuss progress towards a First Nations Voice to Parliament. The working group was excited to hear about the progress here, and supports South Australia’s movement to ensure that voices in remote and regional communities are heard.

The Working Group received an update on the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Amendment Bill 2022, which will be further considered by the Senate next week. The Working Group continued its discussion on the wording of the proposed amendments to the Constitution to include an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament and progressed the wording of the question on the ballot paper.

The Government will introduce the Constitution Alteration Bill to Parliament in the final sitting week of March.  The bill will define the question Australians will be asked at the referendum and contain the proposed amendment to the Constitution. This will be followed by a comprehensive parliamentary inquiry. This process will provide Australians, including First Nations people, with the chance to make formal submissions on the proposed constitutional amendments and the question to be put to the Australian people.

The group addressed the media on Friday morning, the 17th March to discuss progress and tell South Australians about the special Parliament sitting day on Sunday, 26th March when all South Australians are invited to take free public transport a partially closed-off North Terrace and hear the South Australians Voice to Parliament Bill officially passed in Parliament and proclaimed by the Governor of South Australia.

Hear directly from SA Attorney General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Kyam Maher, Referendum Working Party representative Thomas Major, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and Federal Attorney-General Julian Leeser....

The biggest South Australian event dedicated to improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is coming up quickly. The annual “Closing the Gap day” from Sonder and Nunkuwarrin Yunti will be held on Kaurna Country at the Adelaide Showgrounds on Thursday, 16th March from 11am to 3pm. Here to tell us about it on the show today is Njirrah Rowe, the Team Leader of Sonder's Closing the Gap Integrated Team Care Program.

*Organisations can still register to hold a stall on the day, just email [email protected].

More info at Closing The Gap Day – Closing The Gap Day

Legendary Wiradjuri tracker Alec Riley was the first Indigenous police sergeant on the New South Wales Police Force, where he served for 40 years from 1911.

In parallel to that now, many years later, his Great-Great nephew Daniel Riley has been named the first Indigenous director of an Australian dance company, in his new role as Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre.

In one of his first works in this role, Tracker, Daniel explores the path his Great-Great Uncle forged between the enforced colonial system of the time and his own Wiradjuri lore.

This remarkable and deeply personal story is brought to life on stage by a team of talented First Nations creatives using different pillars of storytelling such as ceremony, music, theatre, and contemporary dance, inviting audiences to engage with the work, not simply observe it.

After sold-out seasons in both Sydney and Perth, Tracker will be performed across eight days as part of the Adelaide Festival from 10-18 March at The Odeon Theatre in Norwood. It will return to South Australia in October and November, touring across the state with the support of Country Arts SA.

“It is almost impossible to leave Tracker without feeling deeply moved.” The Saturday Paper

Australian Dance Theatre offers First Nations community members the opportunity to attend dress rehearsals and preview performances for free. Find out more at Australian Dance Theatre (adt.org.au).

Book tickets to see Tracker at the Adelaide Festival here - Tracker - Adelaide Festival

On the 10th of February 2023, the Wirangu and Nauo peoples celebrated the Federal Court’s recognition of their shared native title rights and interests on the western Eyre Peninsula.

Dr Jared Thomas, a Nukunu man from the Southern Flinders Ranges is a Research Fellow for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Material Culture and Arts at the South Australian Museum and UniSA. He is also a curator, arts administrator, international award-winning author and all-around change maker.

Dr Thomas received a Churchill Fellowship in 2019 for his subject matter “investigating colonised people’s interpretive strategies in permanent gallery displays in Aotearoa, Norway, Finland, Canada and the US”, and he recently returned from eight weeks traveling to these countries.

Aboriginal Way sat down with him recently to chat about his experiences…

On the 8th December 2022, a native title claim first made by the Wirangu people more than 25 years ago on the 28th August 1997, was partially finalised with a consent determination at Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula.

The Federal Court’s handing down of the consent determination was a historic day, recognising the Wirangu people as the Traditional Owners of their Country from Acraman Creek in the North to Port Kenny in the South and inland to the Flinders Highway.

SA Native Title Services would like to congratulate the named applicants Caroline Wilson, Cindy Morrison, Barry Dean (Jack) Johncock, Elizabeth Pool, Neville Miller, and Kenneth Wilson, who have fought hard on behalf of Wirangu people to reach their consent determination.

We pay our respects to applicants who passed away before they could be recognised.

In this episode of Aboriginal Way you will hear recordings from the Federal Court's official proceedings on the day* and hear interviews with key people involved.

*These recordings are used with permission from the Federal Court

A draft bill proposing a model for the First Nations Voice to South Australia’s Parliament has been released, following a statewide engagement process with First Nations people, leaders and communities from August to October this year. If this legislation gets up, it will be the first state-based Voice to Parliament in the country.

Aboriginal Way spoke with South Australia’s Commissioner for First Nations Voice, Dale Agius, who has commenced his second tour of engagement around the state, about how it will work.

Are you a First Nations business or entrepreneur? Then don't miss this week's episode of Aboriginal Way with Kelly May, Operations Manager of The Circle.

The Circle was set up as a partnership between the South Australian and Australian governments with funding from the National Indigenous Australians Agency, based at Lot Fourteen.

"We've been established as a conduit between First Nations businesses... to really help their businesses grow and thrive and also to connect to with industry and government for new market opportunities," Kelly May says.

"The support is really built on us developing a really strong relationship with businesses owners and entrepreneurs and really determining the type of support that they require."

The Circle has almost 150 members, and offers free membership to businesses that are at least 50% First Nations-owned. Find out more at www.thecircle.sa.gov.au