10,000 strong support Indigenous Leadership

Kim Kruger

30 July 2009

10,000 people participated in The Long Walk at Federation Square and through Birrarung Marr to the MCG on Saturday 23 May 2009.

10,000 people participated in The Long Walk at Federation Square and through Birrarung Marr to the MCG on Saturday 23 May 2009. The community celebration featured great entertainment by The Grenadines, Rachel Wirrpanda, Tjimba and the Yung Warriors and Joe Geia and activities in the square included The Koorie Night Market and Indigenous Traditional Games. QANTAS also donated $50 for every goal kicked in the Indigenous round, making the total donation $11,000.  This donation will go towards The Long Walk's Indigenous leadership programs.  Over 100 volunteers from Essendon Football Club, AFL Sportsready, the Plumbers Union, ANZ, Marcellin College and the Indigenous community helped make the event a success. 600 Long Walkers walked on the ground including members of the Wadeye and Dandenong communities, students from Brunswick Secondary, Reservoir District, Worowa, Northlands, Eltham and Rosstrevor Colleges as well as our fundraising competition winners, original walkers, regular donors and celebrated Indigenous supporters including Catherine Freeman. Read more >

10,000 is a demonstration that addressing the issues that impact on Indigenous people is important to the wider Australian community. As Michael outlined in the Melbourne Conversation held at Melbourne Town Hall on Wednesday 20 May, he originally walked to Canberra because there was no voice to government in 2004.  “We went there asking, ‘Where is the Love for Indigenous people?’  How is that our young people are still dying at great rates in one of the most developed countries in the world?” The daily occurrences that affect Indigenous people such as dealing with premature deaths and high rates of mental illness still need to be addressed.

The Long Walk meets these challenges through long term support of Indigenous lead projects and has identified four programs to deliver this support. Find out more about the programs we support.

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