Indigenous rights pioneer Joyce Clague persevered through early life on a mission and a childhood of racism and discrimination to become an international activist.
The Yaegl elder was a pioneer of Aboriginal and women's rights activism throughout her life and served as an advisor to NSW Labor governments.Her family has set up a website for people to share memories: her funeral arrangements are yet to be announced."You gotta have the fire in your belly, it's important, if I didn't have that fire in my belly, I wouldn't have got things done.
It was that isolation that helped preserve her cultural identity through language, but also meant that English was her second language. "Whether it was Cabbage Tree Island, Ulgundahi Island or down near Nambucca, it meant that at night they could speak language because the mission managers would row off and stay ," she said.Joyce became a member of the team campaigning for the rights of Indigenous people and the 'yes' vote in the 1967 referendum.She was drawn towards a career in health following the death of her mother, who had been denied admission to a local hospital and subsequently died from pneumonia.
The group took the young woman under their wing, and when she returned to Sydney, her life as a rights activist began.Ms Burney is currently in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, walking a pathway that Joyce Clague helped pave. And in 1977 Joyce Clague was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire for her work as a civil rights activist.
Indigenous Human Rights Aboriginal Vale Obituary Joyce Clague Who Was Joyce Clague? Yes Vote Indigenous Rights 1967 Referendum UNESCO United Nations Commissioner Of The World Council Of Churches Member Of The Order Of The British Empire Linda Burney
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Swords, shields, spheres: The First Nations art in Brisbane’s LightscapeThe immersive, illuminated 2km trail through Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens is back – and this year, it features works of two North Queensland First Nations’ artists.
Read more »
First Nations educators push for school system to embrace Indigenous learning practicesThese First Nation educators say the Australian schooling system is failing Indigenous kids. They're offering solutions — and are calling on governments to listen.
Read more »
How the failed Voice referendum 'galvanised' Kimberley's First Nations leadersKimberley youth Tremane Baxter-Edwards hopes to one day be Australia's first Indigenous prime minister.
Read more »
Compulsory income management implies First Nations people ‘cannot manage finances’, inquiry saysMinister for social services commits to committee recommendation for SmartCard, which quarantines 50% of income, to become voluntary
Read more »
Nations League: San Marino defeat Liechtenstein in first competitive winSan Marino have beaten Liechtenstein 1-0 in the Nations League’s fourth tier, securing their first-ever competitive victory after 34 years of trying
Read more »
Snow sports connect First Nations students to their countryThese First Nations students are the traditional people of the New South Wales Snowy Mountains, yet some of them had never set foot on snow before.
Read more »