a song. a story. a call for change.
Warraay Puthu (Bad Smoke in Ngiyampaa). A collaboration between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth, artists, Yardhura Walani and Grand Trine.
the sTory
The story starts with an idea: to empower young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers to stand up and lead a national movement of resistance against the Commercial Tobacco Industry by giving them the creative tools to tell their own stories — in their own voices.
When young Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) workers from QLD, NSW, WA and the ACT came together on Gadigal/Bidjigal land for “Warraay Puthu” (Bad Smoke in Ngiyampaa language) — supported by the Yardhura Walani Tobacco Free program at ANU and Grand Trine — something special happened. A safe space was created for truth-telling, storytelling, and deadly content creation that speaks directly to the harms of the Tobacco Industry.
Through music, film and storytelling they created an incredibly powerful, new national smokefree, vapefree and anti-Industry campaign: Warraay Puthu (Bad Smoke in Ngiyampaa language).
Featuring artists Matthew “Melnunnie” Brettschneider, Nooky, Dallas Woods, Fred Leone, Soju, RIAH, this campaign throws a spear straight through the heart of an Industry that has caused generations of destruction across our Communities.
the song
The song Voices of Resistance was produced, written, recorded and filmed over just five days.
Tasker and Dion Brownfield created the beat, instrumental and song structure while the artists and TIS workers wrote the words. The song was recorded at Forbes Street Universal Music Studio in Kings Cross and the music video was filmed at We Are Warriors and out on country at La Perouse.
On January 2026 the artists came together to rehearse ahead of a secret 3% headline show at Waywards in Newtown for the King Street Summer Crawl.
And then on Jan 26, the song was officially performed for the first time at Blak Powerhouse at Manning Bar.
the art
The Warraay Puthu campaign artwork was created by Wiradjuri and Ngiyampaa visual artist Matthew “Melnunnie” Brettschneider, from far Western New South Wales, now living on Bidjigal land in Maroubra.
Matty’s artistic practice is highly influenced from Country, energy and water. The way water flows through the landscape, feeding and fuelling life on Country. Combining contemporary styles with traditional symbolism, Matty’s artworks create interlocking, web-like structures of resonating lines to represent energy and connection of Country, incorporating the traditional Wiradjuri river symbolism of three concentric lines flowing out through a landscape.
The artwork uses symbols to demonstrate the positives of not having tobacco and nicotine in Community. These include a Fist for resistance, Blak power and Blak excellence; a Heart with healthy heartbeats for a healthy body and mind; young people connecting to Ancestors in the stars; Country, and being healthy to go out and connect with Country; Culture, and the importance of using art and Culture to heal and connect back to Country; and finally Strong Community, coming together as one to stand firm against the commercial Tobacco Industry. All linked together by the Tobacco Free logo in the centre to communicate that this campaign is a bigger movement for positive, intergenerational change, for Aboriginal culture as a whole. It is about being part of action for change, being proud and expressing culture, not just for now but in the future for young people.
the campaign
The Warraay Puthu campaign officially began with the launch of the song Voices of Resistance on 21 April 2026. Everyone can take part by sharing the campaign in their community. Visit the Resources page to access campaign materials.
The campaign features the song, alongside a short documentary, video clips, artwork, images, and social media content. Tackling Indigenous Smoking (TIS) teams have played an important role in creating the campaign and continue to play a vital role in sharing the message, supporting conversations, and helping people join the movement.
66 Australians die from tobacco-related illness every day. One in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will die from tobacco-related causes. It has to stop.
Let’s stand strong against bad smoke and spread the Warraay Puthu campaign.
Kilung MoruNbul Jum
Kilung Mornbul Jum is a rallying influence for the campaign. Meaning 'Death by Smoke' in the Yugambeh language, the powerful statement piece was created by artists Shannon Best, Frederick Beel and Allen Lucini. This work draws attention to the devastating impact of tobacco use within Indigenous communities, where tobacco-related causes account for 37% of deaths among Indigenous Australians each year.
Using metal as the medium, the artwork reflects the enduring and unyielding grip of this crisis. It compels viewers to acknowledge the profound loss and consider the price being paid.
Kilung Morunbul Jum travels across Australia at community events and was present at the campaign workshops where it served as both a call to action and a plea for a healthier, nicotine-free future for Indigenous communities.
