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A new Indigenous Elder has been appointed to replace Uncle Harry Allie, BEM after almost a decade of service.
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Uncle Harry Allie, BEM handed over his official duties as the Royal Australian Air Force’s Indigenous Elder to Aunty Deborah Booker during a ceremony at RAAF Base Glenbrook on Friday, 25 February.
In her new role, Booker will be tasked with advising the Chief of Air Force on Indigenous cultural matters and engaging and mentoring aviators, while also providing a key cultural link between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and Air Force.
The new appointee welcomed the opportunity to serve as an Indigenous advocate.
“I feel honoured and privileged that the Chief of Air Force would place his trust in me with this appointment,” she said.
“As the first dedicated service Elder ever appointed, Uncle Harry has played a crucial role in progressing cultural changes within Air Force and I am excited to build on his wonderful work and be a role model and advocate for all of our aviators.”
Booker has served in the Air Force for more than 13 years, during which she has supported Indigenous recruitment and community engagement activities, including Exercise Kummundoo, which promotes dental health services to remote Indigenous communities.
She has also helped shape the Indigenous Pre-Recruitment Course to prepare Indigenous young Australians for Australian Defence Force service.
The incoming Indigenous Elder for the RAAF has also supported numerous health, youth and community initiatives, and has helped inform national government policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment, education and community engagement.
Booker most recently served as a senior project officer with Ninti One, the National Best Practice Unit for Tackling Indigenous Smoking.
“I think we can all make a difference individually, but together we can move mountains,” she added.
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