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Kelly Barclay. Photo: Oxfam
The power to change
Kelly Barclay took part in the Oxfam International Youth Partnerships last year. She believes young Indigenous people are the makers of their own destinies, and that it's important to laugh along the way.
I am a 26-year-old Aboriginal woman. I live and work in my home community of Doomadgee, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, North West Queensland.
I love to paint, listen to music, go fishing and have a laugh. Mostly I love to laugh. I think this is what keeps me from being overwhelmed with emotion every time something bad happens. If you can’t laugh, life can be pretty miserable.
Our people are dying so quickly that it is extre mely scary to think that we are running out of time to groom new leaders. Now in my community, our leaders are encouraging youth to make a stand and be the makers of our own destinies.
Our people need us, not just our people, but mainstream society, our children and our future need us. Nobody understands young people the way we understand each other. When are we going to start living as young leaders of today instead of tomorrow?
"Are we, as the next generation, going to be ready to take the reigns? I want to believe that my Aboriginal pride, culture and education are in good hands, because they’re my hands."
I want to be a mother some day, but I honestly believe right now this world isn’t good enough. Because it seems you cannot win either way when you are young. It is triple the impact when you’re Aboriginal. You either fail at mainstream schooling because as Aboriginal people we have different learning styles, or you excel in the mainstream and are accused of abandoning your culture.
As a young person, I want to tell the world that I want my people to get good jobs, become independent and not have to worry about Centrelink. I want to do this while maintaining our Aboriginal heritage to the core!
Where will we be in a decade or 20 years time? I know a lot more of my people will no longer be alive. What then? Are we, as the next generation, going to be ready to take the reigns? I want to believe that my Aboriginal pride, culture and education are in good hands, because they’re my hands. I am confident in my own abilities.
I chose this life and if I want it any other way I have the power to change it right now because everything I ever do is up to me.