2025

Weekly Badimia Community Language Classes

Posted: July 23rd, 2025

As part of the Badimia Guwaga Project – and facilitated by linguists, educators and advanced language learners and speakers – the weekly Badimia language classes provide an opportunity to learn and practice using Badimia with others.

The classes are held in-person and online every Wednesday (10:30am-12:30pm (AWST)).

Join in-person by attending the Mount Magnet Youth Centre or Bundiyarra Irra Wangga Language (Geraldton), or online via Microsoft Teams (meeting ID 453 458 790 213 8; passcode we2ca35y).

For more information contact Bundiyarra Irra Wannga Language Centre (P: (08) 9920 7900; E: language@irrawangga.org.au), or Project Coordinators Dr Kiara Rahman (kiara24@live.com.au) and Cecilia Kelly (cecilia.kelly@gsac.org.au).

Free Aboriginal Family History Information Sessions for the Mid West in August

Posted: July 21st, 2025

Aboriginal History WA (AHWA) and the State Library of WA Storylines are travelling to the Mid West for a series of free Aboriginal Family History Information Sessions this August.

The AHWA team can assist First Nations people in accessing information about themselves and their direct ancestors that is held in restricted State Government records. WA Storylines is an online archive with more than 12,000 images and other documents which can help people find information about First Nations people in WA.

The free sessions will provide attendees with information on the historical records kept by agencies, and will provide an opportunity to request copies of family history records.

Aboriginal Family History Sessions will be held at the following times and locations:

• Morawa – Monday, 4 August (2-4pm) at Morawa Community Resource Centre
• Yalgoo – Tuesday, 5 August (10am-12pm) at Yalgoo Arts Centre
• Mount Magnet – Tuesday, 5 August (2.30-4.30pm) at Mt Magnet Recreation Centre
• Meekatharra – Wednesday, 6 August (9.30-11.30am) at Meekatharra Sports Complex
• Cue – Wednesday, 6 August (2-4pm) at Cue Shire Hall
• Mullewa – Thursday, 7 August (1-3pm) at Mullewa Community Resource Centre
• Geraldton – Friday, 8 August (10am-12pm) at Bundiyarra Aboriginal Community Aboriginal Corporation
• Geraldton – Friday, 8 August (1.30-3.30pm) at Geraldton Multipurpose Centre

Find out more and register on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website, or refer to the information provided in this flyer.

The 10th annual On-Country Bush Meeting at Yule River will be held next week!

Posted: July 16th, 2025

The 10^th annual On-Country Bush Meeting at Yule River will take place next week on Kariyarra Country from Wednesday 23 to Thursday 24 July 2025, both days starting at 9.00am.

This year we welcome Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Hon Don Punch MLA, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss who will be in attendance and presenting on day two of the event.

First Nations people from across the Pilbara are invited to come along and join in the discussion on the 2024 Yule River Call to Action and Solutions Roadmap (Call to Action). The Call to Action is a roadmap for Local, State, and Federal Government on what the Pilbara First Nations community want to see in the region. The document was informed and endorsed by the community at the 2023 and 2024 On-Country Meetings and aligns with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap – which State and Federal Governments are parties to – providing clear recommendations for specific policies across short, medium, and long-term timelines.

The Yule River Call to Action Working Group, consisting of First Nations members of the Pilbara community, continue this advocacy throughout the year.

Day One of the meeting is for First Nations people only, who will hear what has been achieved against the 2024 Call to Action, and discuss ways in which community can lead in the progressing outcomes.

On Day Two, politicians and senior representatives from Government agencies will join the meeting. They will have an opportunity to listen to First Nations people, as well as answer questions from the community on how government has responded to the 2024 Call to Action. Hon Don Punch MLA and Commissioner Katie Kiss will have an opportunity to respond, followed by a Q and A panel discussion with senior representatives from:

• The Department of Communities
• The WA Country Health Service
• The WA Police
• The Mental Health Commissioner
• The Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage.

Attendees will also have an opportunity to connect and be informed by a range of organisations who will be present with information stalls at the meeting.

For more information and updates, visit the Yule River event page.

NAIDOC Week 2025

Posted: July 6th, 2025

NAIDOC Week begins today—a meaningful time to come together in recognition and celebration of the rich history, diverse cultures, and remarkable achievements of our First Nations peoples.

This year marks an important milestone: 50 years of NAIDOC Week! That’s five decades of honouring and amplifying the voices, resilience, and cultural strength of First Nations people.

The 2025 theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” invites us not only to reflect on the past but also to look ahead with hope and pride. It celebrates the strength of all First Nations people, the vision of their communities, and the enduring legacy that their ancestors have passed down to today’s young leaders.

NAIDOC Week is a meaningful opportunity for all Australians to honour First Nations peoples and to recognise the importance of celebrating culture and supporting self-determination.

Be sure to follow our YMAC LinkedIn page throughout NAIDOC Week as we highlight the strength and resilience of Traditional Owners, the vision that PBCs hold for their communities, and the powerful legacy that ancestors have passed down to the next generation.

Guidelines and information sessions for the Remote Australia Employment Service grant opportunities

Posted: June 30th, 2025

The Remote Australia Employment Service (RAES) Grant provides employment opportunities and support for job seekers and service providers who live and work in Remote Australia Employment Services regions. The National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) will be publishing guidelines for accessing the grant on GrantConnect on Monday, 30 June 2025.

To coincide with the release, NIAA will also be hosting two online information sessions which will focus on the RAS Grant Opportunity Guidelines and the application process, with time for questions. Both sessions will follow the same format and will be recorded and made publicly available after the event.

The sessions will be held on:

• Thursday, 3 July, 11.30 – 12.30pm
• Wednesday, 9 July, 12.00 – 1.00pm

To register, fill in the form, and for more information, visit the RAES page on the NIAA website.

Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT) Webinar (hosted by YMAC)

Posted: June 18th, 2025

On Tuesday, 17 June 2025, YMAC hosted an online information session for interested Prescribed Body Corporate (PBC) staff and directors to hear directly from the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage about work being undertaken in relation to the Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT) divestment program.

This event was organised in response to feedback received from PBCs within YMAC’s representative regions throughout various consultations we have undertaken.

If you were unable to attend on the day, we have a recording of the information session available to view here.

Should you have any questions about the presentation or the program, please contact:

Chris James

Senior Project Manager, Native Title Agreements and Partnerships

Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage

E: Chris.James@dplh.wa.gov.au

P: 08 6552 4542

M: 0429 178 467

NIAA PBC Capacity Building Grant extended

Posted: June 17th, 2025

YMAC’s June edition of PBC News advised the closing date for National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) Prescribed Bodies Corporate Capacity Building Grant was at the end of this month. The NIAA have advised YMAC this information from their website is being updated, and that this grant opportunity is being offered until June 2026, with applications invited year-round.

The grant deadline has been published on Grant Connect, and will be also updated in the Prescribed Body Corporate Capacity Building Grant Opportunity Guidelines soon.

This funding is available to PBCs and can be used for activities such as developing planning frameworks, policies and procedures; delivering training; establishing information technology or an office; engaging staff or professional services to deliver capacity-building activities; and bringing PBCs together on a regional basis.

For more information and to download the guidelines, visit the NIAA website.

Free Aboriginal Family History Information Sessions for the Mid West

Posted: June 12th, 2025

Aboriginal History WA (AHWA) and the State Library of WA Storylines are travelling to the Mid West for a series of free Aboriginal Family History Information Sessions.

The AHWA team can assist First Nations people in accessing information about themselves and their direct ancestors which is held in restricted WA Government records. These records are restricted due to their personal and sensitive nature. WA Storylines is an online archive with more than 12,000 images and other documents which can help people find information about First Nations people in WA.

This free session will provide attendees with information on the historical records kept by both agencies and will provide an opportunity to request copies of your own family history records.

Aboriginal Family History Sessions will be held in Morawa, Yalgoo, Mt magnet, Meekatharra, Cue, Mullewa, and Geraldton between 4 – 8 August 2025.

Find out more and register on the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries website.

WA Stolen Generations Redress Scheme

Posted: May 29th, 2025

Western Australia’s Stolen Generation survivors will be eligible to receive an individual payment of $85,000 through a Stolen Generations Redress Scheme.

The WA Government announced the scheme on 27 May, during the Reconciliation Week 2025, in recognition of the harm and trauma caused by the removal of First Nations children from their families, communities, culture and Country. It was also announced the WA Government will partner with First Nations organisations for a healing and truth-telling process.

First Nations people who were removed from their families in WA before 1 July 1972 will be eligible to register for the redress scheme. It is expected that registrations will open this year, with payments to begin being delivered by the end of the year.

You can find out more and sign up for updates on when registrations will be open on the WA Government website. YMAC will also distribute information to our networks as information is available. Keep an eye on our website, or sign up to receive our PBC eNews or YMAC News.