Pay the Rent
A commitment to meaningful action
I moved to Australia from the UK and have been fortunate enough to call this Country home for over a decade. As someone who lives and operates a business on stolen Aboriginal land, I believe it is important to acknowledge the true history of this Country and recognise the ongoing impacts of colonisation on First Nations peoples.
While I will never fully understand these experiences, I believe meaningful action begins with listening, learning and taking responsibility for the ways I can contribute. For Meraki Studio, this commitment begins with contributing $5 from every piece of jewellery sold to Pay The Rent and continuing to reflect on how my business can honour Aboriginal sovereignty through action, not just words.
What does 'Pay The Rent' mean?
Pay The Rent is a grassroots collective honouring Aboriginal sovereignty by inviting non-Indigenous people to make financial contributions directly to First Nations communities and causes.
To Pay The Rent means recognising that we live and work on stolen land, and contributing in a way that supports justice and self-determination for First Nations peoples.
Why it's important
Australia is founded on land stolen from Indigenous peoples, and the wealth generated through colonisation has not been shared equally.
Every day, we eat food grown on Indigenous land, drink water flowing across it, and live in homes built upon it. Businesses continue to operate, grow and generate wealth from this land, while First Nations people continue to experience the ongoing impacts of colonisation, including inequality and exclusion from power and resources.
This land was never empty. Sovereignty was never ceded.
Acknowledging Country is an important step, but Paying the Rent is a way to move beyond words and into meaningful action. It is part of a broader responsibility for non-Indigenous people to engage with truth, justice and equality for First Nations peoples.
How Meraki Studio contributes
At Meraki Studio, I contribute $5 from every piece of jewellery sold directly to Pay The Rent.
This is one small part of my ongoing commitment to acknowledging the true history of this Country and ensuring my work contributes to something beyond the jewellery itself.
Alongside this financial contribution, I am committed to continuing to learn, listen and support First Nations-led initiatives that advocate for Aboriginal sovereignty and self-determination.
How you can help
There are many ways to engage with this work beyond financial contributions:
- Contribute directly to Pay The Rent and First Nations-led organisations
- Learn and listen by seeking out First Nations voices, histories and perspectives
- Support community-led initiatives, events and businesses
- Reflect on the ways we can each take meaningful action and contribute to a more just future