We acknowledge all First Peoples of this land and celebrate their enduring connections to Country, knowledge and stories. We pay our respects to Elders and Ancestors who watch over us and guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
We acknowledge all First Peoples of this land and celebrate their enduring connections to Country, knowledge and stories. We pay our respects to Elders and Ancestors who watch over us and guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Facing the Numbers explores the stories behind the statistics of First Nations injustice in the legal system. We’re working with First Nations filmmakers to amplify stories of individuals and families to drive meaningful change.
First Nations people in this continent are the most disproportionately incarcerated people in the world – making up 32% of prison populations while comprising only 3.8% of the total population.
Facing the Numbers explores the stories and faces behind these statistics. Many people across the continent have heard the numbers, yet not many understand the systemic issues that lead to them. Even fewer know how these statistics translate into human stories and lived experiences.
Created in collaboration with GARUWA and Tyson Perkins, Facing the Numbers addresses how these numbers come to life through personal stories. It asks: How does police brutality affect someone’s life? How does racial profiling make someone feel? How does a death in custody impact communities? And what role can each of us play in enabling First Nations justice?
Grounded in truth-telling, the project honours the remarkable strength and resilience of First Nations people who are still here – protecting Country, culture and community despite deep institutional and systemic racism.
There have been 580 First Nations deaths in custody since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991 – with not one perpetrator brought to justice.
Facing the Numbers tackles the profound and ongoing impacts of this continent's legal system, unpacking institutional racism, racial profiling, police brutality and deaths in custody.
Through raw and compelling testimonies, it moves people beyond statistics – shifting mindsets from apathy to empathy, and from empathy to meaningful action.
Facing the Numbers cuts through apathy by putting non-Indigenous audiences in the shoes of First Nations people who have been harmed by the justice system. It deepens understanding of the injustice within law enforcement and strengthens support for self-determined advocacy and solutions.
By taking action, you will lead behavioural change, influence systemic change and help us draw international attention in challenging all people across the continent and all institutions to urgently address this national crisis.
We are a First Nations not-for-profit that exists to centre First Nations people, Country and truth-telling. We acknowledge all First Peoples of this land and celebrate their enduring connections to Country, knowledge and stories. We pay our respects to Elders and Ancestors who watch over us and guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
