It's Time. Or Is It? The Road to Constitutional Recognition

Brooke Boney is a Gamilaroi Gomeroi woman from Northern New South Wales. She grew up in the Hunter Valley on Wanaruah country with her mother and five brothers and sisters but now lives in Sydney and presents the news on triple j Breakfast.

Brooke has previously worked as a political correspondent for NITV and SBS covering two federal elections. She's also written for the Huffington Post in Australia and the US on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Mark is an Indigenous man from the South East Queensland and North East New South Wales regions. He is the founder and director of The Yettica Group which specialises in facilitating Indigenous leadership and assisting groups to work better as Indigenous and other Australians.

Mark has many years’ experience in leadership management consulting, community education, leadership training, church and community organising and youth work. He held the role of CEO for the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre and has helped many leading organisations develop Reconciliation Action Plans. In 2009, Mark was recognised by The Australian as being one of the top 100 emerging leaders in Australia. In 2011, he won ‘Best Public Speaker in Australia’ on the ABC’s Strictly Speaking program.

He has worked as a facilitator on leadership projects with National Australia Bank, Medibank, Social Leadership Australia, Reos Partners, Desert Leadership Australia, Foundation for Young Australians, Australian Football League, Australia Post and the Australian Football League’s Players Association.

Ziggy is an emerging hip hop artist out of Perth, WA. His latest EP Black Thoughts depicts an insightful experience into the landscape of race relations in modern Australia. Musically, his style and genre speaks to that of golden era hip hop with focus on lyrical content over clean beats with classical overlay.

Growing up in remote Arnhem Land, regional NSW, Sydney and Perth and with family connections in Far North Queensland, his music speaks to the silenced injustices of Aboriginal Australia as well as other social issues. Lyrically influenced by artists such as Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), Lauryn Hill and Common as well as activists like Charlie Perkins, Gary Foley and Adam Goodes, Ziggy finds passion in giving voice to issues affecting those not heard.

Lynda-June Coe is a Wiradjuri and Torres Strait Islander woman from Erambie, Cowra NSW. From one of the most politically active family groups in the country, Lynda-June was educated early by leaders of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. She has been involved with the grassroots movement since the Intervention into the NT (10 years ago), which demanded affirmative action for young people to stand up and speak out against ongoing colonial systems of apartheid and systemic genocide.

Graduating as a secondary teacher from The University of Sydney in 2014, Lynda-June moved home to Wiradjuri country to teach young people the importance of identity, culture and connection to country. She relocated back to Sydney and whilst still employed in Aboriginal education, became heavily involved with the young black movement known as FISTT (Fighting in Solidarity Towards Treaty). FISTT has led and supported national campaigns in Sydney and NSW including:

• Don Dale and abuse against Aboriginal Youth
• Black Lives Matter forum
• Justice for Elijah Doughty, Kalgoorlie
• Solidarity action with Standing Rock Reservation
• Deaths in custody rallies - Wayne Fella Morrison
• Police brutality — shooting of Dennis DJ Doolan
• International Human Rights Day 
• 'NO' campaign on Recognise and Constitutional reform
• Proclamation First Nations Sovereignty - Aboriginal Tent Embassy Canberra