Whether you're planning some down time by the beach or pool over the holidays, or are just on the hunt for the perfect summer read, Blackfulla Bookclub and Blak Matters has you covered.

Created by Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman Teela Reid and Gumbaynggirr and Barkindji woman Merinda Dutton in the midst of pandemic lockdowns, Blackfulla Bookclub started as a place to meet on Zoom and share what First Nation's stories the pair were reading outside of work. Since, it's become a place of discussion and storytelling for many, amassing followers across Australia and around the world. 

For the final episode for 2023, Teela and Michael 'MC' Christian take you through the stories and poems that should be on your summer reading list.

Follow Blackfulla Bookclub here: @blackfulla_bookclub 

Grab your summer reading list here:

• The Queen is Dead, Stan Grant
• Living on Stolen Land, Ambelin Kwaymullina
• Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)
• Day Break, Dr Amy McQuire
• Welcome, Child!, Sally Morgan
• After Story, Professor Larissa Behrendt

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"I didn't know they had Black people down there." 

Travelling as an Australian can often be filled with curious questions from foreigners - but what happens when you add being a First Nations Australian to the mix?  

On this episode of Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian unpack Teela's recent and past experience's travelling overseas, the concept of being an unofficial "ambassador for Australia" when you didn't choose or be want to be one, and how national pride falls into the mix.

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As we head into a dry El Nino summer, we also head into one with an increased risk of bushfires and the devastating effects that can be left in their wake. But is there a better way, and better methods of controlled burning that can lower this risk? 

For millennia, the First Nations people of this country utilised fire for cultural burning, alongside other land management strategies, to cultivate and ensure our land remained healthy and in balance. 

Today on Blak Matters, Michael 'MC' Christian is joined by special guest Trent Nelson from Djaara, who explores the profound significance of cultural burning – not just how it works, but also the role it serves in healing both the land and its people.

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The extreme conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas has dominated media coverage across both the world and here in Australia, leading to intense public debate, protests and boycotts.  

If you've tuned into, or attended, rallies seen across the country, you may have seen Aboriginal flags being raised alongside First Nations advocates chanting the phrase 'free Palestine'. But how do First Nations issues, and the support of Palestinian people, align? 

On this episode of Blak Matters, Michael 'MC' Christian is joined by proud Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman, Dr Amy McQuire from the Queensland University of Technology School of Communications, to help us get a better understanding on why some First Nations Australians are showing support for the Palestinian people.

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After the deafening 'No' vote against the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament last month, many Aboriginal people are claiming this moment has signalled the end - and the death - of meaningful reconciliation in our country.

In this episode of Blak Matters, Teela Reid and Michael 'MC' Christian unpack whether reconciliation is dead, and speak about where our focus should be for unity in our country moving forward. 

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Truth-telling seems to constantly be on the lips of politicians, activists and the media, being seen as one of the essential core pillars when it comes to how Australia can produce better outcomes for First Nations peoples. 

But what is often missed is the definition of what truth-telling actually is, what it is referring to, and who benefits by increasing our capacity to tell the truth of our country.

In this episode of Blak Matters, Teela and MC unpack the term and explain why our country should be focusing on truth-telling right now.

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Released in 2019, In My Blood It Runs is a powerful documentary that chronicles a year in the life of ten-year-old Dujuan Hoosan as he grows up around Alice Springs. His is a Ngangkere - a healer in his community - but also find himself caught between his heritage and his place in Western culture.

Now a young adult at seventeen, Dujuan joins Blak Matters to reflect on his experience almost five years after the documentary's release, and explore the thinking behind the release of his new illustrated book, also titled In My Blood It Runs.

To find a copy of Dujuan's new book, which features illustrations from Archibald prize-winning First Nations artist, Blak Douglas, click this link.

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It has now been almost two weeks since the referendum and the proposed Indigenous Voice to parliament was rejected. So where is our country now?

While all states and territories – excluding the ACT – voted against the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament, over 5.4 million Australians voted in support. So what does the outcome mean for those Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians?

In this episode of Blak Matters, Teela and MC reflect on what happened, where our country is now, and what this means for both the representation of our First Nations peoples and the future relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

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