STAR Eagles defender David Wirrpanda has been named in the top 10 most influential indigenous people in Australia.
The Bulletin magazine recently published a list on the nation's 100 most powerful people in 2007. The categories included indigenous affairs, agriculture and environment, finance, arts and entertainment, business, media and communications, community, government, health and medicine and sport.
Ranked by Mick Gooda, chief executive of the co-operative research centre for Aboriginal health, Wirrpanda was rated at No.9 for his work with indigenous youth in remote parts of Western Australia through the Wirrpanda Foundation.
Gooda's assessment reads as follows:
Wirrpanda, 28, has two public lives. Most think of him as the standout ball-clearing machine for the West Coast Eagles, though Gooda considers his work with the David Wirrpanda Foundation as exemplary. The foundation aims to promote healthy lifestyle choices and bring role models to meet remote Aboriginal kids.
"If I can help the kids even a little bit, I will be able to sleep each night," Wirrpanda says in the article.
The suspicion is that we are only seeing the start of the influence Wirrpanda will have on his country. Highly articulate, always involved, Wirrpanda is a passionate young campaigner for bettering Aboriginal lives.
The list of the top 10 most influential indigenous people, according to Gooda and published in the November 21 edition of The Bulletin is:
- Tom Calma (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, acting race discrimination commissioner)
- Noel Pearson (Aboriginal activist and leader)
- Warren Mundine (former national president, Australian Labor Party)
- Chris Sara (director, indigenous education leadership institute)
- Tom Lewis (actor, musician)
- Rose Kunoth-Monks (leader and tertiary educator)
- Sue Gordon (chair, national indigenous council)
- John Mawurndjul (artist)
- David Wirrpanda (footballer and educator)
- Barbara Malarndirri (Labor MP, Northern Territory Legislative Assembly)
