Thomas Mayor is a Torres Strait Islander man born on Larrakia country in Darwin. Blak Douglas was born Adam Douglas Hill to an Aboriginal father of the Dhungutti people and an Irish-Australian mother. In this picture book, they explain the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart for young readers. The Uluru Statement makes an affirmation that the first nations of the Australian continent and its adjacent islands have never ceded sovereignty – not when first colonised by the British, and not with the enactment of the Australian Constitution in 1901. At the same time, it also acknowledges the sovereignty that we all share, as citizens of Australia. This book invites the younger generation to engage in the discussions around this important document and to find out more.
The illustrations are vibrant, bright paintings detailed with black outlining. They are on different coloured backgrounds which enhance the tones used on each page. The overall effect is striking and eye-catching.
The book includes the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) map of Australia, the full ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’, and further study resources. These include sections entitled, ‘What you need to know about the Uluru Statement from the Heart’ and ‘How you can help find our heart’ (for example, learn some words from a First Nations language, learn about the different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander seasons).
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
