If you’re reading this, you’re probably feeling pretty discouraged right now and wondering how you can continue to show up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people after the Voice of Parliament referendum. It is important to remember that this not goal — you can, and should, continue to be an ally to Indigenous Australians and continue to push for change until reconciliation is achieved. One way you can start showing your support for First Nations peoples is by opening a wallet. This can include supporting small First Nations businesses, buying from Indigenous fashion and beauty brands — and giving money to Indigenous communities through mutual aid and ‘paying the rent’. ADVERTISEMENT Mutual aid is a system in which community members voluntarily contribute money to help care for others — which can include health care, housing, education, and other support services. Mutual aid differs from charity because mutual aid programs are run by community organizations and volunteers, and all money goes directly to people in need.
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Pay The Rent was first developed as a mutual aid policy by the National Aboriginal and Islander Health Organization (NAIHO) in the 1970s and has since been implemented through a range of programs across the country. Paying The Rent is a mutual aid concept that directly benefits First Nations people, as Pay The Rent programs are run independently by people from First Nations communities, without government interference, meaning Elders can direct money to Indigenous communities and individuals who need it most. The payment of rent is important because non-Indigenous Australians were living on stolen land, as the sovereignty of First Nations peoples was never ceded. It is a huge privilege to live in Australia and eat food grown on Indigenous land or from Indigenous seas and drink water that flows over or under Indigenous land. Paying rent is a small step towards acknowledging these facts and righting the wrongs of the past. In the 1990s, Indigenous rights activist Robbie Thorpe ran the Pay The Rent program in Fitzroy, Melbourne. In 2019, he told Buzzfeed that he launched the program as “a rational, reasonable, responsible means of reconciling 200 years of unchecked genocide, as far as I’m concerned.” AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT While Thorpe eventually shut down the program, Victoria-based Pay The Later founded the Rent Grassroots Collective, which encourages non-Indigenous Australians to make voluntary, one-off or regular payments to a sovereign body made up entirely of First Nations people. Money received by this sovereign body is then distributed to Indigenous communities in Victoria to help cover the costs of housing, health care and education. The Collective operates on a ‘Sovereign Body, Corporate Branch’ model — meaning the First Nations Sovereign Body makes the decisions about how the money is used, and the non-First Nations Corporate Branch handles the administrative and logistical work to ensure the money gets where it goes. Ted Wilkes, a Nyungar elder of the Wilak clan and a lifelong advocate for Indigenous rights, says Pay The Rent “offers all Australians the opportunity to work outside of government to right the wrongs”. Author and commentator Clementine Ford, who supports the program, says, “We need to stop paying lip service to decolonization and start paying rent to First Nations people.” If you want to start paying rent, you can make a one-time payment or schedule regular payments from your bank account. The collective is based on the land of the Kulin people in Victoria, Australia, but you can contribute from anywhere in Australia. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT While Paying Rent The Collective is Victorian Based, you can support grassroots First Nations organizations in other states as well. First Nations Futures supports a variety of initiatives led by First Nations communities across Australia. In Queensland, you can contribute to the Balaangala Community Group’s Pay The Rent program or donate to the NPY Women’s Council, which provides health, social and cultural services in the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) region of Central Australia. Many people across Australia are currently struggling financially, so you may not be in a position to pay the rent at the moment. But you can still support First Nations Australians by encouraging other people to pay their rent, learning more about the Indigenous culture, language and stories of the land you live on — and sharing that knowledge with others, volunteering your time or offering an ‘in-kind service’ . You can also read our article to learn more about how you can be an ally to Indigenous Australians today and every day.Want more? Get the best stories from Refinery29 Australia delivered to your inbox every week. Apply here!
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Source: HIS Education