Education is the key to bright Indigenous future

Education is the key to a better life for Indigenous people, a local Indigenous educator has told a gathering of women during the week of International Women’s Day events.

Chrissie Young, the executive officer for Indigenous Development at USQ Fraser Coast, is passionate about promoting higher education to local Indigenous people.

'If Aboriginal people want to improve their lives they need a good education,' Chrissie said.

'The world is not going to stop and wait for us and we don’t want our people left behind.'

Chrissie was speaking about access and equity for Indigenous women at the luncheon. Not only has Chrissie gained a university degree and works full time, she also is studying for her masters.

'Jobs and opportunities don’t just fall at my feet,' she said. 'I have worked hard to be where I am, and I need to work harder to get where I want to be and achieve what I want to achieve. If that means jumping through hoops and obstacles, then so be it.

'I will achieve because it’s my mission to achieve and I will do this without sacrificing or losing my self-worth and morale.'

Chrissie spoke about the women who have inspired her throughout her life. These include black activist Roberta (Bobbi) Sykes, author and artist Professor Sally Morgan, leading Indigenous scholar Professor Marcia Langton, and NSW Minister for Community Services and the State Plan Linda Burney.

But at the top of the list of inspiring women is her late mother, Miriam Knox, a woman she describes as her beautiful, strong and loving mother. She was married at 15 and was divorced with two children by the age of 18. She remarried and ended up raising 11 children.

'My mother did not receive an education, although she knew how important education was. We all had to go to school, no excuses, and we all had to pass.

'Out of the 11 children in my family, seven of us have completed higher education, obtaining degrees in business, education, sciences and the arts.

'My parents went without for us. Mum’s motto was ‘in order for us to appreciate what we have we need to sacrifice for it in some way. She instilled in us the value and importance of education, and how this will help us have a better socioeconomic life compared with that of hers.

'Not that she ever complained. But like most parents we want our children to achieve higher than ourselves. I try every day to do just that.'