Eileen Cummings

Eileen Cummings
Australia's First Nations Political Party candidate for the Division of Solomon in the Australian House of Representatives
Election date 7 September 2013
Opponent(s)	Natasha Griggs (CLP), Luke Gosling (ALP), Todd Williams (Greens)
Incumbent	Natasha Griggs (CLP)
Personal details
Born	1943 Arnhem Land
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australia's First Nations Political Party
Parent	Florrie Lindsay
Occupation	Policy and liaison officer, teacher

Eileen Cummings (born 1943)[1] is a teacher, policy and liaison officer and Indigenous leader in the Northern Territory of Australia.[2] She is a member of the Rembarrnga Ngalakan ethnic groups.[3] She is also a member of the 'Stolen Generation' and is an activist advocating for the well-being of living members of that group.

Early life

Eileen Cummings was born in Arnhem Land in the Barunga-Wugularr region where she lived along with her mother, Florrie Lindsay, and her stepfather, Chuckerduck.[4] She is a member of the 'Stolen Generation' having been separated from her family at a tender age of four and a half. This event took place at Mainoru Station in central Arnhem Land in 1949.[5][6] Her departure initially met with excitement to be going for a ride. However, her joy gave way to longing for her mother when a red truck came to pick her up without her mother's knowledge..[4] Subsequently, she was taken to the Maranboy Police Station before finding her new home on Croker Island.[7] Her name was changed and she was taught to be ashamed of her aboriginal identity while growing up in the institution.[8] Cummings remained at this institution until she was fifteen, after which she resided in a foster home in Darwin until she was eighteen.[9] It was in her adulthood when she returned to see her mother, Lindsay.[10]

Career

Cummings was the first Indigenous person in the Northern Territory to qualify as a pre-school teacher.[2] She also worked as a policy adviser to the Northern Territory Chief Minister in the Office of Women's Policies where she gave advice on women's issues.[11][9] She coordinated the consultation in the development of the Aboriginal Family Violence Strategy and was a co-author.[2][12]

In the 2013 Federal Election, Cummings was unsuccessful as Australian First Nations Political Party candidate for the Division of Solomon in the House of Representatives.[13][14]

She is the Chairperson of the Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation.[15][16] She works to bring compensation to those who are part of the Stolen Generation and on Sorry Day, 2017, filed a case with the NT Stolen Generations organization against the federal government.[17]

She is a University Fellow of Charles Darwin University.[18]

References

Citations

1. Bauman, Toni; Wells, Samantha; Wells, Julie Therese (2006). Aboriginal Darwin: A Guide to Exploring Important Sites of the Past & Present. Aboriginal Studies Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-85575-446-4.
2. "Eileen Cummings". Territory Stories. hdl:10070/218118.
3. "13th Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect". Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
4. Smith 2004, p. 89.
5. "Australia's 'Stolen Generations' Tell Their Stories". The New York Times. 24 May 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
6. McLean, Greg (27 May 2007). "No Celebration for Stolen Generation". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 5 October 2017 – via EBSCOhost.
7. Kevin, Lindt (13 February 2008). "'Long Journey' to national apology". ABC News. The World Today. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
8. Smith 2004, p. 90-91.
9. Smith 2004, p. 101.
10. Smith 2004, p. 98.
11. Alia, Valerie (15 July 2013). The New Media Nation: Indigenous Peoples and Global Communication. Berghahn Books. p. 49. ISBN 978-0-85745-409-6.
12. Smith 2004, p. 101-102.
13. "Eileen Cummings". AFNPP. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
14. "Solomon - Australia Votes | Federal Election 2013 (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
15. "NTSGAC". Northern Territory Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
16. James, Felicity (24 April 2017). "Stolen Generations welcome planned museum in Darwin". ABC News. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
17. Dias, Avani (26 May 2017). "NT Stolen Generation file case for compensation from Federal Government". ABC News. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
18. "Eileen Cummings". Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 6 October 2017.

Sources

• Smith, Claire (2004). Country, Kin and Culture: Survival of an Australian Aboriginal Community. Wakefield Press. ISBN 978-1-86254-575-5.