A Mount Isa born Indigenous author is raising awareness of domestic violence and sexual abuse with her autobiographical debut book.
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Tina Haywood now lives in Ipswich but grew up with her family in Mount Isa.
She is a Yupungathi/Gangalida author and runs her own business dealing with issues of domestic violence and sexual abuse.
"I left Mount Isa to join the army and have changed career pathways to help change the cycle in our communities," Ms Haywood said.
"I wrote an autobiography to help empower our communities and women and families about the awareness of domestic violence and sexual abuse and not let our cultural barriers affect us to getting the help and support as needed."
In her book We Are Warriors: An Aboriginal Woman's Life she wrote that she lived through a difficult childhood and a hard, rough life.
"Growing up poor, I didn't understand why this world was so hard to live in," she said.
"I had to teach myself to grow up at a young age and not continue repeating history, such as inter-generational trauma, alcohol abuse, as well as living with domestic violence."
Ms Haywood said the biography was about living with domestic violence and suffering from sexual assault and child abuse trauma as a child aged seven, later going into the Australian Defence Force, through to becoming a mother, mentor, survivor and overcoming continuous adversities.
"I think this (book) would help a lot of our indigenous people understand why to break the silence and I went to help and it sends a strong message across the Indigenous and the broader communities," she said.
Ms Haywood is also an inspirational speaker and was a mentor to Indigenous soldiers in the ADF.
The book is available for purchase at her website.
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