More than 100 men at the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (NACCHO) Male Health Conference Day in Canberra have apologised for the "hurt, pain and suffering caused to our wives, to our children, to our mothers, to our brothers and to our families".
The statement, inspired by the 2008 Inteyerrkwe Statement, was circulated to all conference attendees - with their support - as part of a series of recommendations presented on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people in Canberra last week.
Calling all men present to stand strong for the health and wellbeing of their communities, the statement acknowledged the difficulty but need for unity.
"Through love and support, our men can be the beacons of hope in our communities, upholding our cultures and our traditions as custodians of lore," it read.
"We also acknowledge that we need the love and support of our Aboriginal women to help us move forward.
"We are providers, warriors and protectors of our families, land, and country. Now is the time to take a rightful place in our communities and be the strong and healthy leaders we know we can be".
The conference preceded hundreds of men marching through the streets of Mparntwe/Alice Springs on Tuesday, calling for the end of domestic and family violence, and in the grip of a domestic violence epidemic that has seen eight women die allegedly at the hand of their partners in the Northern Territory since the start of July.
NACCHO unveiled several recommendations at the gathering, including revisiting and updating the NACCHO Aboriginal Male health plan 10-point blueprint, 2013-2030; and establishing a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male health expert group to undertake an Indigenous Male healthy future blueprint 2013-2030 strategic action and implementation Plan.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males keep turning up to the table to own our own health at conferences like this one today, only to return to our homes with a 'feel good' shot in the arm that shortly wears off and you realise when you get home that you are crippled by a broken system, often underpinned by institutional racism," Winnunga Nimittyjah deputy chief executive, Simon Costello said.
"Improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male health can be achieved through active partnerships with First Nations experts from around the country, resourced to progress key strategic actions that actively enable the development, co-design, implementation and review of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male Health Plan."
NACCHO also recommended the development of a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male health workforce development strategy, and reallocation of gender-based violence program funding to areas which focus on mental health and suicide prevention approaches to help reduce family violence, self-harm, and male incarceration.
The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) chief executive, John Paterson, said too often the approach to men's Indigenous health was driven by the "negative stigma of males being perpetrators, abusers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, domestic violence and being incarcerated".
"The future of male health must focus on the Closing the Gap reform priorities that is enshrined in a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Male health strategic action and implementation plan," he said.
Wuchopperen Health Service treasurer and Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good (DIYDG) co-founder, Daniel Rosendale, asked why Indigenous men use preventative health services less often than any other group.
Citing several statistics, including suicide, heart disease and premature mortality where Indigenous men are more predisposed, he said: "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men must be empowered to prioritise their health needs and engaged to use health and other services."
