Our Reconciliation Path
Orange Sky was founded in Meanjin (Brisbane, Australia) on Turrbal and Yuggera Country. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land and waters across Australia, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. We recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures as the oldest continuous living cultures in human history. We pay our respect and honour to Elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all First Nations people.
At Orange Sky, we are committed to listening, learning and working together with respect and humility to create a positive future and meaningful change through our reconciliation path.
Orange Sky envisions an Australia where reconciliation is evident in the equitable health and social outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We envision an Australian society that celebrates First Peoples culture and acknowledges our shared history. Orange Sky recognises that to drive this change, we must listen to, learn from and support the actions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Since beginning our reconciliation journey in 2022, we have seen progress in key areas:
- Cultural awareness training embedded into employee onboarding
- Providing cultural leave for First Nations team members
- Launching 18 assets in 16 remote First Nations communities since 2022
- Supporting employee attendance at key events including National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC
- Embedding meaningful Acknowledgement of Country and storytelling into meetings
- Encouraging robust internal and external conversations in the leadup to the 2023 Voice to Parliament Referendum
There is still more work to do. Orange Sky is committed to playing our part in improving social and health outcomes in our work through these key goals.
- Develop greater opportunities to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and contractors
- Build on our work to provide specific metropolitan cultural shifts to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friends
- Reconsider our Volunteer Strategy for working with and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Orange Sky is strengthened by the perspectives and contributions of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friends, staff, volunteers, partners and supporters. To walk in reconciliation, we must lead with equity, respect, safety and opportunity at the forefront.
In the context of our work, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience homelessness at considerably higher rates than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Orange Sky recognises our responsibility to provide equitable access to our services for First Nations people in need, as well as strengthening our commitment towards a reconciled Australia in all that we do.
We are motivated to deliver these objectives, as a tangible mechanism for driving change within our community.
Orange Sky has operated in remote communities since 2017 and worked alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander friends, volunteers and supporters for much longer. So, why are we discussing reconciliation in this way now?
Orange Sky has committed to supporting 40,000 Australians and New Zealanders doing it tough by 2025. In the context of our work, First Nations peoples experience homelessness and inequitable access to health hardware, such as washing machines, at much higher rates than their non-Indigenous counterparts. As we focused on growing our services in remote communities, we recognised that helping our community and healing our national soul go hand in hand. We acknowledge our responsibility to prioritise reconciliation extends beyond remote community shifts. It is across our policies, culture, opportunities, and all locations in which we operate.
Reconciliation impacts everyone in our ecosystem. That’s why we will continue focusing on listening, learning and leaning in, for the betterment of our community of staff, volunteers, supporters and partners.
Our Innovate RAP and Waru Dryers are adorned by the ancestral creation story of artist, Rhoda Tjitayi’s, grandmother. ‘Piltati Tjukurpa’ creation story depicts an important cultural site in the Western Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands near Nyapori Community. Rhoda is an accomplished artist and Pitjantjatjara woman, South Australia. Rhoda is also a translator and singer-songwriter in Pitjantjatjara language.
The RAP document was designed by Keisha Leon – Cause/Affect Design (previously Leon Design). Keisha is a Waanyi and Kalkadoon woman and a powerful artist. Orange Sky was honoured to work with Keisha and thank her for bringing the values and cultural essence of our RAP to life.
Orange Sky’s reconciliation work is guided by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – cultural navigators, board members, team members, friends, volunteers, partners and supporters.