A 13-year-old boy asked me a question no child should

In the remote community of Baniyala, located in East Arnhem Land, a 13-year-old boy sat next to the author on the porch of a community centre. The taps in the kitchen had been running continuously, as there were no hardware stores or tradespeople to fix them. Despite the challenges of living in a remote area, the boy was proud of his home and carried a sea rights flag that represented the first native title claim over the coastline of north-east Arnhem Land.

He had siblings he loved, including one who had passed away recently, and even casually asked the author to guess the color of his own coffin. The boy's perspective on death was both casual and reflective, highlighting the harsh realities faced by many Indigenous Australians in remote communities. The community is strong, with a rich cultural identity, but they also struggle with a lack of basic amenities, such as hospitals, supermarkets, and phone service, which are taken for granted in cities.

The lack of progress in closing the gap in health, wealth, and life expectancy has led to renewed focus on the effectiveness of the Closing the Gap initiative. While some believe the agreement is corrupt and needs to be abandoned, others advocate for accountability and a reevaluation of federally funded interventions to better serve Indigenous communities.