In 1995, Indigenous leader and activist Rob Riley became the first Aboriginal person to deliver a keynote address at the Australian Psychological Society (APS) annual conference. He presented a manifesto for change not only for the practice of psychology but for society as a whole. Calling for recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to be treated with dignity and respect and to have self-determination over their lives, Riley articulated the deeply divisive structural racism that underpinned the social, economic, and political context at the time. Twenty years after his untimely death, we reflect on his legacy and ask to what extent his challenge to psychology and Australian society has been met.
The information contained on this website has been sourced by the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) and AIPEP 2. The first AIPEP was funded by the Australian Government Office of Teaching and Learning. AIPEP 2 is part of the Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing Project, funded by the Million Minds Mission Grant. The views expressed in this website do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Government Office of Teaching and Learning or the Million Minds Mission Grant.
Several of the images used throughout this website are credited to Chris Lewis
