About

As first nations people, we are the first storytellers — and right now, the whole country is listening.

The words we use to tell our stories matter. When we share our strengths, solutions and vision for change, we build widespread support for the changes our communities have been calling for, for decades.

Passing the Message Stick is a groundbreaking multi-year First Nations-led research project designed to shift public narrative in support of First Nations justice and self-determination.

We launched the foundational research in 2021 and it has been widely adopted by First Nations organisations, advocates, journalists, activists and allies. The biggest finding was that when we lead from our strengths and expertise, we can win big change. This is a critical antidote to the pervasive deficit language that harms us and holds us back.

In 2023, our next phase of research expands on the foundational report to find persuasive messages that build support for transformative change, like treaties, truth-telling and representation, now and beyond the referendum. Click here to see recommendations from this latest phase.

The good news is, our research shows our target audiences resonate with our vision for transformative change, particularly when they have the social proof that others are also in support.

We believe that if we build a groundswell of public support and win a resounding Yes, then a wave of transformative change for First Nation justice will follow - because public momentum and demand gives governments a political mandate to act on bold policy reform.

This is a resource to help get us there. It’s been created for us, and by us, and we encourage you to pass these findings on as far as you can.

Meet the steering committee

Passing The Message Stick is led by a Steering Committee of pre-eminent First Nations advocates, delivered by GetUp and Australian Progress, and supported by a broad community of First Nations advocates, allies and philanthropic donors.

Dr Jackie Huggins AM

Author, historian and First Nations advocate
Bidjara / Birri Gubba Juru
Larissa Baldwin-Roberts

First Nations Justice Director, GetUp
Widjabul Wia-bul / Bundjalung
Amelia Telford

First Nations Justice Director, Australian Progress
Bundjalung and South Sea Islander
Kirsty Albion

Executive Director, Australian Progress

I’m so proud of this work, it fills me with hope for what’s next. Messages are passed through story, and storytelling has been at the heart of our culture since time immemorial.

We encourage you to take these findings in your hands and heart, and share them widely – to create transformative change and centre our strength and solutions in public policy across the country.

Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA, Passing the Message Stick Steering Committee

Thank you

The Steering Committee thank the incredible community of advocates, allies, partners and donors who’ve made the project possible.

We would especially like to thank First Nations advocates, community members, family and friends who have contributed time, expertise, feedback and have had countless number of yarns with us. Thank you for your courage, determination, love, care and solidarity. You are the reason we do what we do.

To Eleanor Glenn from Common Cause Australia, John Armitage from QDOS and Anat Shenker-Osorio, thank you for your strategic guidance, expertise and endless support for the project.

Thank you to our donors; Australian Communities Foundation and sub funds; Besen Family Foundation; CAGES Foundation; Dusseldorp Forum; Equity Trustees; Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation; Oranges and Sardines Foundation; Perpetual; Pool of Dreams, a part of the Community Impact Foundation; Sunrise Project; Tripple; Water Dragon Endowment, a part of the Community Impact Foundation; and Wyatt Trust; many of whom have believed in us from the beginning, along with others who have come on board more recently. Thank you for your commitment, ongoing support and for backing us and our vision.

And a huge thank you to the teams at GetUp and Australian Progress, for providing all of the back of house support and project management that makes this project a pleasure to be a part of.

And finally, to you, for coming on this journey with us. Thank you for everything you do, and for passing on the message stick.