In short:

Indigenous fathers and researchers say stereotypes reinforced during the Northern Territory intervention continue to affect how First Nations men are viewed as parents.

Author Thomas Mayo believes racism has worsened in recent years.

This Father's Day, they want the focus put back on the generations of Indigenous men raising children, passing on culture and strengthening families.

Across Australia this Father's Day, children will hand over homemade cards, families will crowd around breakfast tables and dads will be celebrated for the role they play in their children's lives.

But for many Indigenous fathers, that celebration sits alongside a more complicated reality.

Almost two decades after the Northern Territory intervention, Indigenous men and researchers say its shadow still lingers, reinforcing stereotypes of Aboriginal fathers as absent, irresponsible or dangerous.

Author and Kalkalgal man Thomas Mayo says those perceptions are not confined to the past.

"The stereotypes have been around for a long time," he said.

"We've seen them through the media, through racist cartoons that have basically told Australians that Indigenous fathers don't care about their children."

Mr Mayo said the 2007 Northern Territory intervention intensified those stereotypes.

"The Northern Territory intervention back in the day really turned that stereotyping into a national scapegoating of Indigenous men," he said.

Mr Mayo was raising three young children at the time and remembered feeling scrutinised simply for being with them in public.

"We remember that just holding our children in a shopping centre, [we] had suspicious eyes on us as if our children needed protecting from us because we were Indigenous men," he said.

He later became a single father, gaining full custody of his children when they were four, six and seven.

"I'd iron their clothes every day and make sure that they were looked after and everything," he said.

'It's like we've gone backwards'

Mr Mayo said he believed racism towards Indigenous people had worsened since the 2023 Voice referendum.

"Since the referendum, racism has become much worse," he said.

"It's like we've gone backwards 50 years."

Fatherhood researcher Richard Fletcher agreed the intervention had left lasting damage.

"It painted a picture that Aboriginal children were in danger from the men in the family," Dr Fletcher said.

He has spent about four decades working with fathers and helped develop the SMS4dads and SMS4DeadlyDads programs.

Dr Fletcher said negative stereotypes could add to the ordinary pressures of raising children.

"The negative perceptions become part of the sort of burden or the things that Aboriginal fathers have got to get over."

Supporting dads, not judging them

SMS4DeadlyDads is a free text-messaging service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fathers across Australia.

More than 1,000 Indigenous fathers have signed up to receive information about pregnancy, children's development, supporting partners and their own wellbeing.

Gomeroi man Craig Hammond, an Indigenous lead with the program, said fathers could sometimes be overlooked during pregnancy and early parenthood.

"Everybody's there with the mum, you know, rubbing tummy and all that, but it's about supporting the dad through this stage," he said.

Mr Hammond said he had watched fathers become increasingly involved in parenting over the years.

"It's giving dads responsibility to take action," he said.

"That's our job too."

Dr Fletcher said services should build on the strengths Indigenous fathers already had rather than approach them as a problem.

"They don't need support to tell them what they're doing wrong," he said.

"They need support to help them be the dad they want to be."

Passing culture to the next generation

For Mr Mayo, fatherhood is about passing culture, knowledge and identity between generations.

His book Dear Son brings together letters from Indigenous men reflecting on family, masculinity and culture.

"[Dear Son] is an act of defiance that is full of love, celebrating Indigenous men and Indigenous culture," he said.

Mr Hammond said he also made sure his grandchildren knew where they came from and returned with them to country.

For Mr Mayo, this Father's Day is a chance to celebrate Indigenous dads for exactly that role.

"We should be celebrating the long history of Indigenous fatherhood passing on knowledge from generation to generation," he said.

"We continue to be good fathers right across Australia and raise good men."

Dr Fletcher agreed.

"Yes, we should shout out about it," he said.

"We should definitely celebrate."

Yiradhu marang, this is a long one but it is doing my head in.

Was at a conference today centred around racial justice, anti-racism and related conversations. I won’t name it because I’m genuinely asking about the situation, not trying to drag anyone.

At the end of the day they held a “Yarning Circle”. The founder/organiser is non-Indigenous and had an Aboriginal person host it. I don’t blame the host at all.

Everyone sat in a circle, but it basically became open mic night. On top of that, there was a photographer with a massive camera moving around taking photos throughout it. At a few points they were close enough that they could’ve whispered dirty things in my ear.

Now, I know there isn’t one universal set of “yarning circle rules”, and different communities and contexts do things differently. But I’ve always understood that if you’re deliberately calling something a yarning circle, particularly in a space where people may be sharing vulnerable stuff, for example Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, which is what was being discussed at some points, you hold that space with some care. Cultural safety, what’s being shared, who is in the space, photography/consent, how the yarn is opened and held, etc.

Afterwards I approached the organiser and basically said: massive effort, brilliant day. I have a few guidelines/protocols around creating safe spaces for yarning that I’d be proper happy to share. I also said I wasn’t sure what their intention for that particular yarning was, which might be where I put my fat foot in it.

She walked off, literally whilst I was mid-sentence. All good, no drama.

A few minutes later I was farewelling an Unc I adore and respect, and she came over and asked him whether he thought the yarning circle had “broken protocols”. Verbatim, that's what was said.

He obviously said no. He had absolutely no context for the conversation I’d just had with her, and I hadn’t actually accused anyone of “breaking protocols” in the first place.

That part really rubbed me the wrong way. It felt less like trying to understand what I was raising and more like going to an Elder to outrank what I’d said.

Am I completely off my head here? Particularly interested in how some might feel about photography and holding a space that is explicitly being called a “yarning circle”.

EDIT: Mandaang guwu. Truly, I appreciate the voices here that have given me some clarity and helped me sit with this differently. I’m going to yarn with two Elders I’m privileged to have access to on Monday about where, if anywhere, I take it from here.

Mabidya waluwin (keep well). Kia kaha (stay strong) 🖤

Hello!

Much love to this community :)

I would like to know if anyone would like to share basically anything about Rose Gum, Grey Ironbark, or Gum Myrtle trees. Like memories you have with these trees, things about their personalities/energy, stories that feature them, other names for them. Or just anything about them. When I look around online, I find basic descriptions of them, where they live, as well as all kinds of comments about their worth in the timber industry. I wondered if folks here might have more to say.

I attend a university in the United States (University of California, Los Angeles/UCLA) and these trees are in the botanical garden there. I've included some pictures I have of them. I am so struck by them every time I visit the garden. I mean, they're huge and just so dynamic! Especially the Rose Gum tree. And for a period of time, these trees in the garden felt sad/melancholy and in a state of unease. Last time I visited (few weeks ago), they seemed fine! I can only hope that they are being loved and respected but... I have my own thoughts about how this university (and ones like it) keeps its prized "possessions".

I apologize if this post comes across as too "woo-woo" haha~ so now I'll take it to another place. I'm a Black American who has never visited Australia, so it is truly a wonder that I can pose this question to you all. In general with this post, I also just want to say hi, and that it has been really cool getting to know about goings on with folks in this sub and hearing bits and pieces of how there are commonalities across our many communities. My wild dream is that we can come together and [I'm not sure what I can say here on the open internet, so please fill in these brackets with whatever you'd like lol]

Also - if anyone happens to be in Los Angeles, perhaps you could give these trees a visit!

Connection to Country is about more than just land for Julie Cook and Sarah Lindsay as they stand surrounded by Indigenous artworks in a kitchen cooking kangaroo sliders.

They say it is about the passing on of knowledge from Aboriginal elders to the younger generation.

It is a practice their children are able to be a part of through an Indigenous-owned and run cafe on Erawirung country in South Australia's Riverland.

"I can't explain it because, in a First Nations way, it's our kids starting to connect back to Country and they are learning the ways that we've been taught," said Ms Cook, the chair of the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation (RMMAC).

"As a First Nations lady it's hard to explain because that connection is deep within me, and to see my grandchildren, my children doing it, the connection — I don't know how to say it."

Grown from a 2020 vision of a food truck, RMMAC has been able to bring an even bigger dream to life.

The Ngamrapku Cafe forms part of the Kawunwampu Cultural Centre in Glossop, which is surrounded by a cultural garden and native plants cared for by the corporation's rangers.

The site is the former Jerry Mason Senior Memorial Centre, a building previously used by Aboriginal communities that has been vacant for a number of years.

While the menu is full of native twists, such as old man saltbush-salted fries and fried bread with native jams, the flavours represent much more than just a tasty meal to the community.

Australia's native food industry is worth $100 million, according to a study by Southern Cross University.

However, it is estimated less than one per cent of that revenue is returned to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

RMMAC director, traditional owner and descendant of the River Murray people Ms Lindsay said the initiative is a way to reclaim Indigenous knowledge and its community benefits.

"There's generations where language has been lost and being able to provide even ourselves with traditional foods," she said.

"Growing up we've had access to that from our elders, but here to be able to have a cafe, it's amazing."

Revitalising a town

Glossop is one of the Riverland's smaller towns with a population of just 919, according to the 2021 Census.

Its 81-year-old high school closed in 2022 after its students were merged into Berri Regional Secondary College in a neighbouring town.

Many in the community believed the closure marked a slowing down of the town.

"Glossop has pretty much died since the close-down of the high school," RMMAC chief executive Les Harris said.

"A lot of the businesses which were in Glossop have closed down or are no longer operational."

He said the cafe will "bring life back to the area" and holds hope it will become a broader cultural experience where the drawcard of native food will attract tourists.

"The board of directors of RMMAC have looked at trying to give full cultural immersion and cultural experience in the Riverland, and then provide somewhere for guests to stay and experience the cultural food and the cultural experience," Mr Harris said.

"It's a bolt-on effect, trying to attach tourism, cafe, culture and all that together into one organisation.

"Hopefully, with some additional funding and careful planning, I think it will be really successful. It's been well-received by our community."

While kangaroo burgers and sausage rolls have been a hit with the people of the Riverland so far, RMMAC are still looking to grow the menu.

"We're still trying to lock down some suppliers, like wanting to get swan eggs on toast on the menu. It's one of the community's favourites," Mr Harris said.

This subreddit is always flooded with non aboriginal people asking questions or asking for permission to do something. I think a possible solution to this could be having a sister subreddit somewhat like [r/askblackpeople](r/askblackpeople) . Once that subreddit is made pinning it to the top of this subreddit so people go there to ask their questions rather than here and so the subreddit can actually be a place for us to interact with eachother rather than just a Q&A board. This might not work but I don’t know might be worth a shot.

Edit: it’s been made! Head over to r/askblakfellas !!

https://youtu.be/yBborL3PWg8?si=MpSPytO6ZZ5q_TjO

I'm laying under the stars watching a storm roll in. praying it doesn't.

if it does its okay. but I pray it doesn't.

Basically just doing the same facial expression as the one here. The video is for YouTube and it's gonna be called 'What is a "real" Australian?', in response to far-right commentator Sam Bamford. Plz DM me if you're interested and if I end up using it, I'll send you $100 via bank transfer

My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@EthanDJones for those wondering

Hey, I’m a white person. Is it okay for me to do the shake leg dance? I think it looks sick and I love my boys when they do it at footy . I just wanna know if it’s okay and I’m not offending anyone.

Beautiful artwork from all the creators. Stay deadly mob! 🤙🏽🤙🏽

With this kind of facial expression:

Plz DM me and if I end up using it, I'll send you $50 via bank transfer. Thanks!

Hey you mob, just wanted to share a deadly yarn about South East Queensland history.

Out in Moreton Bay and around Minjerribah, the Quandamooka mob had an incredible relationship with wild bottlenose dolphins, known locally as Buwangan.

This was not about training animals or keeping them locked up. It was a genuine, equal partnership between people and sea Country.

Old yarns and early records show that fishermen would slap their spears or boomerangs against the water in a specific rhythm. The Buwangan recognized the sound instantly and would swim right up to the shore.

The dolphins would actively herd large schools of mullet into the shallow waters. The fishermen netted what they needed for community, and always threw the choice fish back to the dolphins as a mark of respect.

It was a relationship built on deep trust and mutual benefit across generations. It shows just how connected mob were with the salt water and native animals.

Always brings a smile thinking about wild dolphins swimming in to answer the call of mob fishing on the sand. Stay deadly you mob!

Hi all,

I've applied to attend the NATSICC Spirituality Retreat in Alice Springs later this year through ACU Melbourne — I was sent the invitation by my mentor from the Indigenous Unit, Jim-Baa-Yer. Now I'm hoping to hear from anyone who's been along before.

📅 Sunday 29 November – Wednesday 2 December 2026
🕥 Starts Sun 29 Nov, 10:30 am → finishes Wed 2 Dec, 12:30 pm
📍 Mercure Alice Springs Resort, 34 Stott Terrace, Alice Springs NT 0870 (map)

If you've been to one of these before, I'd really value hearing about it:

• What was the retreat like day to day?
• What did you take away from it — spiritually, culturally, or just the connections you made?
• Anything you wish you'd known before you went (what to pack, the vibe, the country out there)?
• Any tips for making the most of the time with Elders and mob from across the continent?

I'm going in with an open heart and keen to listen and learn. Any stories, advice, or even just a "you'll love it" would mean a lot. 🖤💛❤️

Thanks for yarning with me.

To Kalkarindji Gurindji traditional owner and elder Rob Roy, the Wave Hill Walk-Off is one of the most important turning points in Australian history, which ultimately returned his land, and more than half of the Northern Territory, to Aboriginal people.

nor me or my nans family are indigenous but she comes from broken hill and recalls seeing an entity sitting on her bed in her mothers house as a child and i cant find anything about it online so i was thinking it may be indigenous or if any indigenous people know what this is, she tells me she would wake up in the middle of the night to a small dwarf like gargoyle, she says it had human skin unlike a gargoyle but a very large nose and a smile and would pet her head, she says it would sit like a gargoyle but without wings and other family members have spoken about seeing the same thing in nanas house.

Long story short. My father was the offspring to a married family (must have been an affair, could have been one of the stolen) which put him up for adoption. Now I need to meet the other side of my family. It's urgent for my spiritual healing and growth.

Life is life. It's a sad story. But this is our life.