“The settler-state origin myth forms and informs the first and most necessary tyranny of colonialism, the one that makes possible all that are to follow: the tyranny of indifference. The violence of the colonial project is a long violence, one that stretches over the years required to first take, then hold and work, the land. As such, it is a project that is inherently difficult to complete without a lack of empathy for those who are being dispossessed.” — Ambelin Kwaymullina

“The human history of Australia spans 80,000 years, but a mere 230 years after the arrival of the first colonisers, we are on the precipice of ecological destruction. The devastation of colonisation and environmentally ignorant decision makers is clear—it is killing our country and will kill us unless we force change and a return to First Nations control of resources.” — Natalie Cromb

“A huge proportion of Queensland’s female prison population is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, with that group making up only 4 per cent of the state’s population but 36 per cent of the women’s prison population… While the general incarceration rate is on the increase, the figure for Aboriginal women has skyrocketed—with an increase of almost 250 per cent for prisoners in that demographic since the 1991 Royal Commission. The report tabled by the Royal Commission sought to reduce the overrepresentation of Aboriginal Australians in custody and the number of black deaths behind bars; instead, the situation has only got worse, with over 400 deaths in custody since 1991.” — Fernanda Dahlstrom

“I am not allowed to be angry, lest I be seen as ‘Crazy Aboriginal Lady’. But anger is tasty. I have over 200 years of it in my DNA, and it begs to be expressed. […] Freedom, no matter how brief and even in the form of revenge, is seductive. I pay rent, taxes and am monitored in public. Freedom for the colonised subject is a sun setting in the horizon; unreachable.” — Nayuka Gorrie

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Black & Blak Lives Matter—in Australia and overseas. KYD stands with First Nations communities and individuals in calling for an immediate end to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander deaths in custody and injustice at the hands of police and the settler-colonial state; as a majority white organisation we acknowledge our own complicity in the perpetuation of this violence and commit to listening, learning and making lasting structural change.

Please join KYD staff in supporting the following campaigns and organisations:

Pay the Rent — a grassroots collective enabling funds to be contributed by individuals directly to grassroots causes and campaigns with a focus on protecting First Nations rights, and practical support.

Seed Mob — Australia’s first Indigenous youth-­led climate network.

Sisters Inside — an independent community organisation based in Queensland, which advocates for the collective human rights of women and girls in prison, and their families, and provides services to address their individual needs.

IndigenousX — a digital media initiative that actively challenges stereotypes of the Indigenous community, in which Indigenous people can share their knowledge, opinions and experiences with a wide audience across the world.

Justice for David Dungay Junior
Justice for Joyce Clarke
Justice for Tanya Day
Justice for Yuendumu: Inquiry on Police Shooting

Our friends at Liminal Magazine have put together an excellent resource with more Bla(c)k-led organisations and fundraisers to donate, support and learn from, now and into the future.