Five questions to Mike O'Loughlin: this week on IndigenousX
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Version 0 of 1. Each week, a new guest hosts the @IndigenousX Twitter account to discuss topics of interest as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. In partnership with IndigenousX, we’re inviting its weekly host to tell us about who they are, what issues they’re passionate about, and what they have in store for us during their upcoming week. Tell us about who you are, where you are from, and what you do. I am a Gamilaraay Man from Moree, NSW. My family come from the Moree, Inverell and Tingha areas. I also have Irish heritage from the County Clare on my father’s side. I am engaged to a Worimi Woman from the Port Stephens area, and have three children. I have worked in many varied roles, from HR consultant to out of home care caseworker. My two passions have always been youth work and culture. I have spent the last 12 years learning and teaching traditional Aboriginal dance. I have been lucky to travel with this. I am currently learning and teaching myself and my eldest daughter the Gamilaraay language. What do you plan to focus on during your week as host of @IndigenousX? This week I would like to focus on my two passions, mentioned above. I will be tweeting some Gamilaraay language as well as encouraging other tweeters to share their language. I will also tweeting about the talk that myself, Luke Pearson and Kelly Briggs (@TheKooriWoman) will be giving at the state library this Saturday. What issues are you most passionate about and why? I have always worked within the youth field and believe that all children deserve every opportunity that they can get, and that they sometimes need a helping hand to reach and achieve their potential. Cultural revival I think is one of the most important issues that we as Aboriginal people face. I believe that if we lose our culture, we lose part of ourselves. It has been a long journey for me to get to the point that I am at with my culture, I still have a life time of learning ahead of me but it is a jurney that I believe will benefit me, my family and hopefully my community. Who are your role models, and why? My grandmother is one of my biggest role models; she has made many great achievements in her life time and has taught me many important life lessons. My elders and uncles are my role models; their cultural knowledge and the way that they carry themselves and use their cultural knowledge to guide the way they live, is something that I aim to replicate. What are your hopes for the future? My biggest hope for the future is for my family to grow into strong individuals and to be confident in themselves. On a bigger scale I hope to see a change in the way we as a society view our youth, and the opportunities that we provide them. I hope to see a change in the way see all aspects of society. I guess in the big picture I would like to equality and equity amongst all sectors of our society. |