Congratulations to Aunty Oriel Green for her Award in recognition for her tireless work to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal peoples. Aunty Oriel has worked as an Elder Co-researcher with the Looking Forward Team from the School of Allied Health since 2017 and the Telethon Kids Institute as part of the Ngulluk Koolunga Ngulluk Koort (Our Children, Our Heart) Program.  She began her career in 1979 in education.

According to Aunty Oriel, she is driven by a very strong desire “to see things change.”

“We need to see that [non-Aboriginal service staff] are interested enough to come out in the community and be seen and talk to them on the street or wherever it might be” (Aunty Oriel Green).

Aunty Oriel works with the leadership at the WA Network of Alcohol and Other Drug Agencies and with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal researchers, service leaders at headspace, and Aboriginal young people in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, to enhance access to services for Aboriginal people and to ensure services are culturally responsive to meet their needs.

Aunty Oriel who is now 86 has also served on or is currently serving on advisory committees for Perth universities, various Reconciliation Action Plan working groups, and the City of Perth’s Council of Elders.