NRL grand final winner Angus Crichton has launched a new charity aimed to educate the broader Australian community about Indigenous ways of life through film.
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Crichton, in collaboration with AthletesVoice and Canon Australia, directed and stars in a documentary released this month titled First People Project.
It tells of Crichton's motivation for launching the new Indigenous foundation of the same name.
Following primary school in Young, Crichton attended The Scots College, Sydney with two Yolngu boys from Gapuwiyak in the Northern Territory and later visited Arnhem Land to meet their families.
He says he realised how little the broader Australian community understands the remote Indigenous way of life.
"There are many stories to be told about the people who have called Australia home for more than 50,000 years," Crichton wrote on athletesvoice.com.au.
"By chance, and a relationship with two boys I met and mentored at high school, I discovered some of these stories. I want to share them. I want people to understand them and I want people to really feel the same sense of belonging to Indigenous Australia as I do.
"This is part of our culture as Australians but is often overlooked or misunderstood. The fact that we live in this beautiful country together, this is our history and we should all know about it and all celebrate it."
He said the "real work" begins now the foundation is up and running.
"My direct experience has been with Arnhem Land. I don't know enough about central Australian communities, or those in Queensland, Western Australia, Torres Strait and more," he said.
"But I know these are all different, intricate cultures. The plan with the First People Project is to start telling their stories. Sharing culture and insight. With that I'll learn more, and hopefully so will many other Australians."
Crichton added that the charity extends beyond his passion of photography and filmmaking.
"We want to help young Indigenous people flourish in their chosen fields. Often they need intensive help to achieve their goals. Sometimes it's a case of lacking the connections, life-experience or role models to make it happen," he said.
The documentary can be viewed here.
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