Being First Nations and queer means belonging to a community that is full of blak joy, but it can also come with many hurdles. Hear Elisha Jacobs-Smith and Tanesha Bennell chat with Brooke about showing up authentically as yourself. Tanesha and Elisha share what it was like exploring their sexuality, coming out to family and community, and all that entails. Both are now activists within community and promote healing and well-being through connection with culture and chosen families - "If you can’t see it, you can’t be it”. Also find out how to be an ally in the queer First Nations space.

Rickeeta Walley is from a family that helped bring the Welcome to Country into a modern age while protecting millennia old protocols. When her dad Richard Walley was asked to do a Welcome to Country for Harry Styles, he had no idea who that was. The Welcome became a viral sensation and sparked an international discussion about the importance of the Welcome to Country, and creating spiritually safe cultural protocols for guests coming to 'Australia'.

Jack Collard went from being raised in the country, to advocating for First Nations rights at the United Nations. He is the product of two-way learning, navigating academic space and cultural space. Travelling to Indonesia to study International Relations taught Jack about a different measure for happiness, and to value culture and connection over material wealth.

Ilona McGuire uses her art as commentary on the political climate of 'Australia', often with a lighthearted humour as a tool for activism. Ilona has grown up embracing her Noongar and Kungarakan cultures, performing with her Noongar family since a young age. Her culture informs her artwork and promotes valuable messages and brings attention to the political climate. Combining technology with culture, Ilona has worked with drone light shows such as “Moombaki” to centre the importance of place in story, and the power of knowing the significance of an area.

You can’t help others with an empty cup, but how does supporting your own needs first, before you support others really go? Shakara Walley went from working in the arts to working with incarcerated youth. Her journey to supporting herself and creating boundaries as a form of love, has informed her work supporting young people in what healthy relationships look like.

Language revitalisation has been a long and hard journey that continues to be impacted by the ongoing effects of colonisation. Policies such as the White Australia Act forbade First Nations Australians from speaking their languages. Dylan Collard strove to reclaim his connection to Noongar language, not only to deepen his own relationship to culture, but in order to keep the language of Noongar Country alive. Dylan started his language journey in 2017, and is now a fluent speaker and teacher.

Wellbeing as we know it now has been constructed from a Western perspective, so what does the oldest continuing culture in the world have to say about methods of achieving and maintaining wellbeing? In this season of Noongar Wellbeing Ballardong Whadjuk Noongar woman Brooke Collard yarns with young people about their perspectives on self care, community, and culture.

First Nations stories are rich and diverse, and the world is hungry for them. But when stores are told about, and not with First Nations people, misrepresentation and stereotyping often occur. In this episode we yarn with Noongar Elder Dot West OAM, a leading advocate for the inclusion of First Nations voices in the media. Dot is also a scriptwriter, SBS board member and poet.

First Nations stories are rich and diverse, and the world is hungry for them. But when stores are told about, and not with First Nations people, misrepresentation and stereotyping often occur. In this episode we yarn with Noongar Elder Dot West OAM, a leading advocate for the inclusion of First Nations voices in the media. Dot is also a scriptwriter, SBS board member and poet.

Traditional foods or “bush tucker” have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. In this episode of Noongar Wellbeing, Ballardong and Whadjuk Elder and author Vivienne ‘Binyaarn’ Hansen shares how Noongar people view food as medicine.