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Aboriginal staff at Youth Justice tell us the importance of their jobs in supporting young Aboriginal people to connect to their culture and turn their lives around.
Visit the Youth Justice pathway to learn more about the role.
(Title appears)
Alana: I wanted to become a youth officer because I wanted to help young people see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We make mistakes, but mistakes can be turned around, and we can learn from them.
(Alana is shown helping young Aboriginal men with their paintings).
I want our young people to be connected to culture, be strong and proud young Aboriginal men.
(Aboriginal man and woman are shown speaking to young Aboriginal men sitting in circle in a classroom setting).
Rab: The Aboriginal artwork and painting is something that a lot of the boys are very interested in, which we can do individually or as a group.
(Camera zooms into different artworks being painted).
It's about connecting them to their totems, storylines of artwork, and why we do it, which builds their stronger connection to their culture and who they are.
(Footage of smoking ceremony and boys dancing in a corroboree at a Youth Justice centre.)
Dancing is another one that all their boys have really taken to, and they participated in a Corroboree recently. Every Aboriginal kid participated and joined in, right across all centers with Youth Justice.
(singing in corroboree)
Abby: Being an Aboriginal mentor, for me, is showing the kids there's life after being in custody.
(Abby is shown talking to the young Aboriginal men and with her colleagues placing ochre on her body).
That there can be steps that you can take to get out to the community and give back.
(Abby smiles to camera)
(Animated NSW government logo appears and music ends)
Please note that at DCJ we commonly use the word "Aboriginal", recognising that Aboriginal people are the original inhabitants of NSW, the part of Australia we are responsible for. We acknowledge and respect that Torres Strait Islander people are among the First Nations of Australia and that both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are an important part of our staff and the communities we work with.
27 Jul 2023