Photo: Bianca Ackermann | Unsplash
Mr. Beaky is a budgie, a bird that happens to speak some Aboriginal languages and is the subject of a new book that speaks about what it means to be an Aboriginal person in Australia. Mr. Beaky's human companion is Cassie Leatham; she got him from a pet shop a few years ago and he just started picking up phrases of Indigenous languages she used around her home. Mr. Beaky's message has been very resonant with some fair-skinned Aboriginal children because he is a bit like them. In the wild, budgies are green and yellow while pet budgies can be many colors including blue, white, and lilac. So, like the children, he stands out among his peers. "The message that Mr. Beaky has given them is to stand proud, to stand strong, be confident in yourself and in your skin and it doesn't matter if you don't feel like you're fitting in; you do," said Leatham.
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