Tania Major
Encyclopedia
Tania Major first came to prominence in 2004 as the youngest person elected to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
(ATSIC).
Born in Cairns
, Queensland
in 1981, to Peter Taylor and Priscilla Major, Tania Major was educated at Clayfield College
and Griffith University
in Brisbane, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in Criminology
and Criminal Justice
.
The Cairns-based indigenous youth advocate used her profile to draw attention to domestic violence
in the Aboriginal
community. Her forthright way of addressing the problems focused national attention on them.
She spoke "I rule!" to opinion makers, the public and government
about sexual violence
and rape
in the Aboriginal community, asking Prime Minister
John Howard
to help lift the "blanket of shame" that was preventing such assaults being reported.
"I'm proud to be an Aboriginal Australian and to have been recognised and acknowledged for the work I'm involved in," Ms Major said.
In 2007, Major was named Queensland Young Australian of the Year and Young Australian of the Year. She is currently the Youth Development Project Officer for the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership
, and a Regional Councillor for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives...
(ATSIC).
Born in Cairns
Cairns, Queensland
Cairns is a regional city in Far North Queensland, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
in 1981, to Peter Taylor and Priscilla Major, Tania Major was educated at Clayfield College
Clayfield College
Clayfield College is an independent, Uniting Church and Presbyterian, day and boarding school, predominantly for girls, located in Clayfield, an inner-northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
and Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
in Brisbane, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Criminology
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
and Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
.
The Cairns-based indigenous youth advocate used her profile to draw attention to domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
in the Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
community. Her forthright way of addressing the problems focused national attention on them.
She spoke "I rule!" to opinion makers, the public and government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
about sexual violence
Sexual violence
Sexual violence occurs throughout the world, although in most countries there has been little research conducted on the problem. Due to the private nature of sexual violence, estimating the extent of the problem is difficult...
and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
in the Aboriginal community, asking Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
to help lift the "blanket of shame" that was preventing such assaults being reported.
"I'm proud to be an Aboriginal Australian and to have been recognised and acknowledged for the work I'm involved in," Ms Major said.
In 2007, Major was named Queensland Young Australian of the Year and Young Australian of the Year. She is currently the Youth Development Project Officer for the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership
Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership
The Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership is a public policy organisation formed in partnership between the people of Cape York, Griffith University, and Federal and Queensland Governments....
, and a Regional Councillor for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
External links
- Transcript, "Cry from the Heart, 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, 30 July 2006. - Four Corners Interview with Tania Major
- Young Australian: Tania Major
- Youtube video 2007