2010

1. 19 April Politics

   New Zealand signs the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, leaving only the USA and Canada rejecting it.

2011

1. April Politics

   Benson Saulo from the Wemba Wemba people and raised in Tamworth, is the first Aboriginal person to become Australia’s Youth Representative to the United Nations.

2. 17 April Self-determination

   Yindjibarndi woman Jodi Broun and Butchulla man Les Malezer become the first elected national Indigenous leaders since the abolition of ATSIC as they assume the positions of co-chairs of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.

3. 25 April Conflict

   For the first time, Aboriginal people join on behind the Anzac Day march in Canberra with a banner ‘Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars’.

2012

1. April

   The first Aboriginal-owned biobank opens in the Hunter Valley.

2. 2 April Arts

   Veteran Aboriginal country musician Jimmy Little, dies after a long illness, aged 75, at his home in Dubbo in western NSW.

2013

1. April Land & land rights

   The federal government grants environmental approval to Toro Energy’s Wiluna project, the first uranium mine in Western Australia.

2. 12 April Politics

   The Western Australian government replaces the word ‘Indigenous’ with the word ‘Aboriginal’ in their official documents, and also changes the “Department of Indigenous Affairs” to the “Department of Aboriginal Affairs”.

3. 26 April Remains repatriation

   The Charité Medical Museum in Berlin returns remains of 33 individuals, the first return of Aboriginal remains from Germany ^[1]. As the first German scientific institution, Charité in November 2008 signed an agreement with Australia for a "dignified burial" of Aboriginal remains.

2014

1. April Arts

   Sydney artist Daniel Boyd becomes the first Aboriginal man to win the Bulgari Art Award, one of Australia’s most esteemed contemporary art prizes, for his work Untitled 2014.

2. 11 April Arts

   The inaugural Australian Indigenous Fashion Week (AIFW) is held in Sydney, showcasing Aboriginal fashion, textiles and accessories from across Australia.

3. 28 April Arts

   Jack Charles becomes the first Aboriginal person to win a lifetime achievement award at the Victorian Green Room Awards for the show Jack Charles v the Crown.

2017

1. 3 April Politics

   June Oscar AO, a Bunuba woman from Fitzroy Crossing, WA, starts her 5-year term and becomes the first female Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

2. 3 April Politics

   UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, presents her preliminary report on the human rights situation of Aboriginal people.

2018

1. 9 April Treaty

   During a visit of His Royal Highness Prince Charles a delegation of Yolŋu clan leaders lead by politician Yingiya Mark Guyula present a ‘Letter Stick’ expressing their fight for sovereignty and asking for support. It read:

   "This here is Yolngu Land, we are sovereign people and we live by Yolngu law. We have many difficulties with the Australian Governments because they do not recognise our sovereignty. We need to correct this situation, for the sake of our children and their children, for our cultural survival, – for our ancestors. We are the oldest living culture in the world. I request, on behalf of the people standing before you, and the Yolngu nations that you intervene on our behalf and take a strong position to acknowledge our sovereignty and promote a pathway to Treaty. We are the only indigenous people of a Commonwealth country that does not have the respect or dignity of a Treaty with our people. Will you advocate on our behalf for our justice? Please accept this letter stick and create a diplomatic passage for this letter stick from your highly respected position to the Prime Minister of Australia, in order to help our sovereign nations reach Treaty.” ^[2]

2. 9 April Treaty

   His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales visits Nhulunbuy, in north-east Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, for his first visit to the remote region. He meets with members of the Yolngu Nations Assembly and local politician Yingiya Mark Guyula who present His Royal Highness with a ‘Letter Stick’ that expressed their sovereignty and requested the Price “to acknowledge our sovereignty and promote a pathway to Treaty”. [5]

3. 13 April Recognition

   Wiradjuri woman Dhani Gilbert wins the 2018 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Award for her community work, academic pursuits and advocacy for Aboriginal people.

4. 21 April Arts

   Gurrumul’s final album Djarimirri (Child Of The Rainbow) becomes the first number one Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) album in an Aboriginal language, only a week after its release on 13 April. In August at the 2018 National Indigenous Music Awards it wins Album of the Year, Song of the Year for the title track, and Gurrumul is posthumously named Artist of the Year.

5. 28 April Sport

   Cathy Freeman receives the Order of Merit award, the Australian Olympic Committee's highest honour.

2019

1. 9 April Recognition

   

   The Royal Australian Mint issues a new 50 cents coin that shows the word "money" in 14 Aboriginal languages, a tribute to the International Year of Indigenous Languages. As there hasn't been a traditional Aboriginal word for "money", new words were used often related the look and feel of coins: piece, pebble, stone, rock, grey.

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References