Today, 27 August 2026, marks Gayaa Dhuwi Day, the anniversary of the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Declaration.
Community Mental Health Australia (CMHA) acknowledges this day and stands in support of Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia and the leadership it has shown for over a decade.
The Declaration set out a vision of a mental health system where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander concepts of social and emotional wellbeing sit alongside the best of clinical care. It remains, more than ten years on, a guiding reference point for the whole sector.
“Gayaa Dhuwi Day is a moment for us to pause and recognise the work Gayaa Dhuwi has carried for so long, and to acknowledge that this leadership belongs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” said Kerry Hawkins, CEO of CMHA.
“The Declaration has shaped how the mental health system as a whole should think about culture, healing and self-determination. We’re grateful for that leadership, and we stand behind it,” she added.
“On behalf of the community-managed mental health sector, our respect goes to Gayaa Dhuwi, to Professor Helen Milroy, to Rachel Fishlock, and to everyone who has carried this work forward,” Kerry said.
CMHA recognises that this day, and the work it represents, belongs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our role is to listen, to follow their lead, and to support the reform they are calling for.
Read Gayaa Dhuwi’s full statement here.
Image: Tom Hodge, General Manager, Gayaa Dhuwi speaking at an event at Parliament House earlier this year.
