Aboriginal suicide is different: that’s one of the key messages that came out of the inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention conference in May this year. Other messages follow from that one: local communities know best how to understand causes and build solutions; and supporting and strengthening Aboriginal culture is a big part...

When the WA government issued a draft of its first independent policy on Aboriginal development ( Resilient Families, Strong Communities: A Roadmap for Regional and Remote Aboriginal Communities) in mid July, it signalled the final act in a drama that began with the failure of WA land rights in 1985. This is a story of...

Both sides of politics want to close the Indigenous gap, and both want symbolic recognition of Indigenous people in the constitution in time for the anniversary of the 1967 referendum. Yet both sides have steadfastly walked away from the intent of the 1967 referendum, which gave the lead to the federal government in promoting Aboriginal...

This discussion paper addresses what effective engagement means and how it works in policy development and implementation. This is the second discussion paper for the Lowitja Institute on government engagement with First Peoples in Australia provides a review and policy analysis of national, State and regionally constructed engagement strategies. It complements a recent review of...

The Aboriginal community controlled health sector is a major provider of primary and preventative health care services to Aboriginal people outside Australia’s major cities and towns. It is important that it functions well. There are many aspects to good service delivery. This paper contributes to one of them—good management—both in the community health services themselves...