LUMEN Summer 2019 - Flipbook - Page 18
C
hange is possible, let us
lead. That’s what Andrea
Mason OAM, one of
the most powerful and
inspirational voices in the Aboriginal
community stands by, passionate that
First Nations people should lead the
solutions to issues that impact them.
“We often don’t have the final say
in matters that affect us, matters
that benefit us and we want that to
change,” said the woman who has
devoted her life to Aboriginal justice.
“We want to be able to lead our
own communities and our own
organisations. We look at our own
communities from the inside out and
we see that things are possible.”
Through her fight for Aboriginal
rights, her journey has spanned
politics, public policy and practice
where she has acted as a bridge
between ancient culture and the
21st century corporate world.
She is now ready to fight for
those with a disability, having
earlier this year been appointed
as a Commissioner for the Royal
Commission into Violence, Abuse,
Neglect and Exploitation of People
with a Disability. Andrea hopes her
contribution will bring about positive
change in First Nations communities.
“First Nations people with a disability
are a marginalised group within a
bigger marginalised group. There are
a lot of similarities in the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Rights
Movement and the Disability Rights
Movement,” she said.
“I have seen first-hand what a
respectful model of care looks like
for ‘high risk’ clients.
“I felt the strength of that experience
could only assist me in my role as a
Royal Commissioner.”
Andrea is a Ngaanyatjarra and
Kronie Australian woman who grew
up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.
As a child, Andrea could see the
16
THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
importance of speaking up for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander rights.
“From a young age, I was
surrounded by men and women
helping other Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people and it left a
very strong impression,” she said.
Andrea moved to Adelaide in the
1980s. Over a period of time her
interest in governance and policy
led her to study law.
“I feel very privileged that I was
living in South Australia at a time
when there was a significant push
for Aboriginal people to do studies,
which were designed to give us
incredible tools and understanding to
work not only in the public service,
but in the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander services sector,”
she said.
Andrea’s career took her on a journey
in public policy and practice, but it
was in Canberra where she hoped
she could really make a difference.
As the first ever Indigenous woman
to lead an Australian political
party (Family First), Andrea ran
unsuccessfully for office in 2005.
“Having studied law, as well as public
administration, and having spent ten
years working in the public service
and seeing the experience of the
Aboriginal rights movement, I felt
as someone who was living well in
two worlds, I could bring a point of
difference in conversations. I could
draw from my own history and from
the history of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people. I felt that was
an opportunity to take at that time,
but that door did not open,” she said.
In 2008, Andrea began working at
the Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and
Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s
Council, an organisation governed
and directed by Aboriginal women
across 26 desert communities,
spanning more than 350,000
“We want to be
able to lead our own
communities and our
own organisations.”
square kilometres, traversing WA,
SA and the NT. Here, Andrea was
focused on conquering domestic
violence, increasing employment and
encouraging health and wellbeing for
women in remote regions.
“There is an incredible level of hope
and vision that sits at the heart of this
women's organisation,” Andrea said.
After ten years as the CEO of the
NPY Women’s Council, Andrea
made the tough decision to step
down from the role to take up
her role as a commissioner in the
Disability Royal Commission.
Andrea says of the many challenges
faced by Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander communities, the
need to be “supported to lead our
own solutions in good law and good
policy systems” is the one she feels
most passionate about.
“Australia doesn’t exist, doesn’t have
a soul or identity without its First
Nations people,” she said.
“First Nations people governed this
country and led a framework of
peace, order and good governance
before European contact.”
Looking back on her career, Andrea
is exactly where she wants to be. A
place where she hopes she will be
able to inspire significant change.
PREVIOUS AND ABOVE
Andrea Mason OAM, pictured at
Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute,
in front of Bush Tucker Dreaming, artwork
by Lily Napangardi Campbell
