Josephine Cashman facts for kids

Josephine Amy Cashman is an Aboriginal Australian lawyer and businesswoman. She is from the Warrimay people. In 2013, she was one of the first members of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council. This council was set up by Prime Minister Tony Abbott to give advice on Indigenous issues.

Cashman's Work and Contributions

Josephine Cashman is a lawyer and also runs her own businesses. She was an important member of the Prime Minister's Indigenous Advisory Council when it first started. She also spoke at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council. Her speech focused on stopping violence against Indigenous girls and women.

Her Book and Foundation

In 2013, Josephine Cashman's book, Lani's Story, was officially launched by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott. She had sent him a copy of her book because her publisher could not pay for a launch event.

Cashman also led a group called the Big River Impact Foundation. This foundation wanted to create a learning center. The center's goal was to help Aboriginal women feel more confident. It aimed to do this by improving their reading, writing, and public speaking skills. By doing so, the foundation hoped to help women make good life choices, find business chances, and get better jobs for themselves and their communities.

Working with Government

On November 8, 2019, Josephine Cashman was chosen by Ken Wyatt, who was the Minister for Indigenous Australians at the time. She joined a special group that was planning how to create an "Indigenous voice to government." This "voice" would help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people share their views directly with the government.

Discussions on Identity

In late 2019, Cashman raised questions about author Bruce Pascoe's claims of Aboriginal identity. She suggested that he had made money by saying he was Aboriginal when he might not be. She asked Peter Dutton, who was the Minister for Home Affairs, to look into it. On December 24, 2019, the issue was sent to the Australian Federal Police. They looked into it and decided that no crime had been committed.

On January 28, 2020, Minister Wyatt removed Cashman from the Senior Advisory Group. This happened after she was found to have given a letter to a commentator named Andrew Bolt. This letter was said to be from a Yolngu elder named Terry Yumbulul. The letter supported Cashman and spoke against Bruce Pascoe and his book Dark Emu. Bolt published the letter online. The next day, Mr. Yumbulul said that he did not write the letter and did not give permission for it to be published. Cashman stated that she helped Mr. Yumbulul write the letter because he asked her to, and they had talked about its content many times.

Cashman has also suggested creating an official list to check if people are Aboriginal. However, Minister Wyatt did not agree with this idea. He said the government should not decide who is Aboriginal.

Other Roles and Politics

In 2019, Cashman was an ambassador for the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. This foundation helps Indigenous students get a good education.

In April 2022, Josephine Cashman became a candidate for the Pauline Hanson's One Nation party. She ran for the New South Wales area called Division of Lyne in the 2022 Australian federal election. However, she did not win the seat.

Cashman's Family and Heritage

Josephine Cashman has a big family. She has an older sister, two brothers, a step-brother, and a step-sister. She also has a son. She is part of the Warrimay people. Her family also has connections to the Aranda people. She is also connected to the Marika and Yunupingu people in Eastern Arnhem Land. Her family links also reach to the south coast of New South Wales and eastern Victoria.