Program

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz 
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz was appointed as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples by the Human Rights Council in 2014.

In the fulfilment of her mandate, she conducts fact-finding missions and reports on the human rights situation in specific countries, addresses cases of alleged violations of the rights of indigenous peoples through communications with Governments and others, promotes good practices to implement international standards concerning the rights of indigenous peoples and conducts thematic studies on topics of special importance to the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples.

She is an indigenous leader from the Kankana-ey Igorot people of the Cordillera Region in the Philippines. As an indigenous activist, she has worked for over three decades on building movement among indigenous peoples and as an advocate for women’s rights.

Ms. Tauli-Corpuz is the former Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (2005-2010) has served as the chairperson-rapporteur of the Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations. As an indigenous leader, she was actively engaged in drafting and adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2007. She has founded and managed various NGOs involved in social awareness raising, climate change and the advancement of indigenous peoples’ and women’s rights and she is a member of United Nations Development Programme Civil Society Organizations Advisory Committee.

In her capacity as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, Ms. Tauli-Corpuz has provided expert testimony before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and policy advice to inter alia the World Bank and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).

Moana is an indigenous Māori woman of Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāti Rangiwewehi tribal descent.  Eldest of 3 sisters, Mother of 2 boys (and many other family members she cares for). More than 30 year’s experience in social and community work including child protection, family violence prevention and Tribal research. Her working career and vision has been spent committed to strengthening family, child safety and wellbeing, reclaiming and application of indigenous frameworks and practices in social and community work, social justice, human rights and the development of Māori and indigenous people.  She is Poutaki Maori (Principal Advisor Māori), Office of the Chief Social Worker, Oranga Tamariki: Ministry for Children, Wellington.

Professor Fiona Arney
Co-Director, Australian Centre for Child Protection
University of South Australia
Adelaide, South Australia

Prof Fiona Arney is the Co-Director of the Australian Centre for Child Protection at the University of South Australia. She is dedicated to discovering alternative, evidence based approaches to the prevention of and response to child abuse and neglect, She has evaluated and supported more than 50 programs in child welfare and has a particular interest in working in remote, regional and urban settings with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Fiona has won numerous awards for community engagement, contributions to child health and for women in leadership. She has more than twenty five years’ research experience in the fields of parenting support, child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing, and child protection research. Fiona has provided support to numerous child protection inquiries, led significant committees and has guided system reform efforts in a number of jurisdictions.

Ms April Lawrie
Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, South Australia

Commencing in December 2018, April Lawrie was appointed the inaugural Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People in South Australia. Commissioner Lawrie has been tasked with ensuring the development of policies and practices to improve the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal children and young people, particularly in the areas of health, education, youth justice and child protection. Commissioner Lawrie is a proud Mirning and Kokatha woman whose peoples are from the Far West Coast of South Australia.

Commissioner Lawrie’s role as Commissioner is preceded with 15 years of executive leadership roles across government, with the most recent two and half years as Director of Aboriginal Education, prior to that, 10 years as SA Health Aboriginal Health Branch Director and before that, four years as the Aboriginal Justice Director in the Attorney General’s Department.

Commissioner Lawrie strongly believes that we need to bring the voices of Aboriginal children and young people and their communities into how we are designing and delivering health, education, justice and child protection culturally appropriate services so that Aboriginal children and young people can flourish. She believes that to improve services and outcomes, we need to recognise the solutions coming from our Aboriginal communities and families and act upon them in a meaningful way.

Natalie Lewis
CEO, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak

Natalie Lewis is a descendant of the Gamilaraay (Kamilaroi) Nation and is the Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak. Natalie serves on the board of SNAICC – National Voice for our Children and is Chair of the national Family Matters campaign. She holds appointments on the Qld Domestic and Family Violence Implementation Council, Youth Sexual Violence and Abuse Steering Committee and the Queensland Policy Leaders Forum. As a member a member of the Expert Advisory Group to the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry, Natalie remains strongly involved in the implementation of the reform agenda.

Natalie’s experience has been called upon in Queensland and the US in the areas of youth justice and child protection, providing direct service, program and policy development and organisational leadership over the past 20 years. Natalie is also a finalist for the 2018 Tony Fitzgerald Memorial Community Individual Award.

Richard Weston
Former Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation

Richard is a descendant of the Meriam people of the Torres Strait. He has worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs for more than 20 years, 19 of these in Indigenous controlled health services in Far West New South Wales and Queensland as a CEO.

He very recently finished up as CEO of The Healing Foundation based in Canberra, a post he held for 9 years.

The Healing Foundation is a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisation that partners with communities to lead responses to ongoing intergenerational trauma caused by actions such as the forced removal of children from their families and communities.

The Healing Foundation’s work has demonstrated that life changing outcomes can be achieved when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are supported to lead and develop their own healing solutions to long standing, seemingly unsolvable problems that rob communities of hope and a sense of purpose.
As CEO of the Healing Foundation since September 2010 Richard oversaw the strategic development of the organisation, which has supported more than 175 culturally strong, community led Indigenous healing projects around Australia; assisting more than 45,000 community members and 7000 Stolen Generations survivors along their healing journey.
During his 13 years at Maari Ma Health in Far West NSW including nine years as CEO (2000-2009), Richard led the delivery of high quality health care and improved health outcomes for adults and children alike in a remote region known for the poor health status of its population. During this time Maari Ma won five NSW health awards and a national health award.

June Oscar AO
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner

June Oscar AO is a proud Bunuba woman from the remote town of Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberly region. She is a strong advocate for Indigenous Australian languages, social justice, women’s issues, and has worked tirelessly to reduce Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

June has held a raft of influential positions including Deputy Director of the Kimberley Land Council, chair of the Kimberley Language Resource Centre and the Kimberley Interpreting Service and Chief Investigator with WA’s Lililwan Project addressing FASD.

She was appointed to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (1990) and was a winner of the 100 Women of Influence 2013 in the Social Enterprise and Not For Profit category. In 2015 June received the Menzies School of Health Research Medallion for her work with FASD.

June has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from the University of Notre Dame, Broome, Western Australia, and is currently writing her PhD. June is a co-founder of the Yiramalay Wesley Studio School and is a Community member of the Fitzroy Valley Futures Governing Committee.

In February 2017, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Edith Cowan University. June began her five-year term as Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner on April 3, 2017.

Dr Brian Babington
Chief Executive Officer, Families Australia

Dr Brian Babington has worked for over three decades for stronger communities, families and individuals in Australia and developing countries, particularly in Asia. Since 2005, he has been the CEO of Families Australia, a national, not-for-profit peak body that advises the Australian Parliament and Government on ways to improve the wellbeing of families and children who experience disadvantage and marginalisation. He plays leadership roles in national and international community development and rights bodies, including as Convenor of the National Coalition on Child Safety and Wellbeing, a Director of an international child-centred community development agency, Plan International Australia, and Deputy Chair of Communities@Work (ACT). He is also the founding editor of the Indonesian Orphanages Research Hub, a web-based resource that focuses attention on the wellbeing of children living in Indonesian orphanages.

Adjunct Professor Muriel Bamblett
Hon DLitt SW AO

Adjunct Professor Muriel Bamblett OA is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung woman who has been the CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency since 1999. She is currently Chairperson of SNAICC and active in over 30 advisory groups concerning the Aboriginal community, including the Aboriginal Treaty Working Group; Aboriginal Family Violence Steering Committee; Victorian Children’s Council; Aboriginal Justice Forum; and the Aboriginal Community Elders Service, to name just a few. Muriel was heavily involved in the Northern Territory Child Protection Inquiry from 2009-11.

Muriel’s contributions have been recognised in a number of awards including a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2004 Australia Day Honours for her services to the community. In 2011, Muriel was inducted into the 2011 Victorian Honour Roll of Women and was a finalist for a Human Rights Medal with the Australian Human Rights Commission.

In 2017, Muriel was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in Social Work by the University of Sydney in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Aboriginal child and family welfare.

Senator Rachel Siewert

Rachel is the Australian Greens spokesperson on family and community services, mental health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander issues and ageing. She is Greens Whip and Chair of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee. Rachel’s position as Chair of the Senate Community Affairs References Committee has enabled her to bring light to landmark issues such as; aged care, suicide prevention, petrol sniffing, hearing health, income inequality, forced adoptions and out of home care.
Senator Rachel Siewert has been in Parliament for over 13 years, making her the most experienced MP of the Australian Greens.

Cathy Taylor
Chief Executive – Department for Child Protection, South Australia

Cathy was appointed as Chief Executive to lead the new Department for Child Protection (DCP) in South Australia in October 2016. Cathy joined the department from Queensland where she was Deputy Director-General, Child Family and Community Services, Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services from 2013 to 2016. This role saw her lead the development and implementation of strategic policy and program initiatives including the response to the Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry 2013 and the Bryce Taskforce on Responses to Domestic and Family Violence 2015.
Cathy brings more than 15 years’ experience as a senior public servant in Queensland working in and across strategic policy, legislative reform, planning and service delivery roles in the areas of child protection, youth justice, disability services and domestic violence. Cathy has undergraduate qualifications in law and postgraduate qualifications in law and public administration including an Executive Masters of Public Administration (EMPA), ANZSOG.
Cathy has previously held the position of Director of ANROWS – Australia’s National Research Organisation on Women’s Safety and is currently Chair, National Forum for Protecting Australia’s Children.
In 2018 Cathy was appointed to the ANZSOG Alumni Advisory Council.

Shelley Ware

Shelley Ware is a proud Yankunytjatjara and Wirangu woman from Adelaide, South Australia, who currently lives in Melbourne.

For the past decade or so, Shelley has worked in the media as a radio and television presenter on both local and national AFL and AFLW football news shows. During that time, particularly as a panel member of NITV’s Marngrook Footy Show and recently a special guest on the AFL.com webshow The Colour Of Your Jumper. She is a member of the Carlton FC RAP committee and the AFLW All Australian and Rising Star Selection committee. Shelley has become one of the most respected and recognised female presenters of AFL and AFLW football in the country.

Shelley is a teacher who also works at Parade College as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer.

Isaiah Dawe

Isaiah is a Butchulla and Gawara salt water man. Butchulla of Fraser Island, Hervey Bay and Gawara of the Northern Territory, his skin name is Yakamarri.

Isaiah was the winner of the 2017 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander TAFE NSW student of the year and was also the TAFE NSW student graduate of the year, being the first Indigenous person to do so. Isaiah has represented Australia in America apart of 9 young Indigenous Leaders chosen by National Congress of Australia’s first Peoples. Isaiah was a part of the first Aboriginal team to sail in the prestigious Sydney to Hobart Yacht race and the Sydney to Gold Coast race, Isaiah was recently selected by Prime Minister and Cabinet to attend the World indigenous Business Conference in New Zealand. Isaiah is a strong advocate for Indigenous children in foster care and showing them that “it’s not what you know, it’s what you do that matters”. Isaiah is currently the CEO / Founder of the first Aboriginal mentoring company to support Aboriginal young people in Out of Home Care in New South Wales called – ID. Know Yourself.

Garry Goldsmith
Garry Goldsmith will be our host and MC throughout the conference. Garry is a proud Narungga man from Guuranda Djulta (Yorke Peninsula) South Australia. He has worked in the Aboriginal community-controlled sector for more than 20 years and spent the last six years at the Aboriginal Health Council of SA. His current role as CEO for Narungga Nation Aboriginal Corporation is delivering the historic 10-year Buthera Agreement between his organisation and the South Australian Government.

Garry has worked in community radio for more than 12 years and has hosted numerous local, state and national events. A passionate community-orientated person, Garry founded and delivered the largest single Aboriginal Nation event in South Australia, Gynburra – an annual Narungga festival celebrating Narungga culture across three days.

Mickey Kumpati Marrutya O’Brien
Kaurna Welcome to Country

Mickey Kumatpi Marrutya O’Brien is a Senior Aboriginal Man, descendant of the Kaurna (Adelaide Plains) and Narrunga (York Peninsula) peoples. Mickey has been sharing cultural engagement for a number of years – a role handed to Michael by his Father, Uncle Lewis Yerla Burka O’Brien. It is a position he honours and respects greatly.

Mickey enjoys sharing cultural knowledge and providing Welcome to Country – with people, not at people – and enjoys opportunities to support the Aboriginal community. Travelling across Australia, living and working in a number of Aboriginal communities, Mickey has delivered programs, represented on boards and advisory panels.

He is a recipient of the Rotary Club Courtesy Award for community involvement working with youth. Mickey is also an Australia Day Service Award recipient and is a Foster Parent of 16 years to three beautiful children.

My Father has told me, ‘Aboriginal people have always welcomed people to this country, we just never tils them to go home’.

Yellaka is the fusion of ancient traditional and contemporary Aboriginal dance, song and storytelling, performed proudly and respectfully by its young Aboriginal members. Fire, water and earth and elements are elaborately interwoven with stories of creation spirits from across this sacred land. Yellaka draws audiences into a warm cultural space, evoking a mesmerising stillness. Cultural and spiritual renewal is at the heart of Yellaka’s sacred circle, where ancient teachings cross into new forms. A Kaurna word meaning Old Wisdom New Ways, Yellaka is led by Karl Winda Telfer, Senior Custodian from the first Dry Forest Clan of the Adelaide Plains Region – an award-winning cultural designer, storyteller, artists, dancer, teacher and accomplished choreographer. Yellaka’s young Aboriginal dancers are aged between 9-23 years old.

Dusty Feet Mob is an Aboriginal dance group from Port Augusta, South Australia aged between six and thirty-three years. Dusty Feet Mob are more than just a dance group. They are a group that builds connection to culture, language, community and country through dance. This sense of connection is a powerfully positive force for the young Aboriginal dancers.

Dusty Feet Mob know that storytelling through dance and song is a powerful way of celebrating Aboriginal identity, culture and connection to country. While at the same time their performance is a way of entering into past hurts and injustices experienced by Aboriginal families in a way that allows both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to grow in acceptance, understanding and empathy together. A significant part of this is focused on the promotion of healing and awareness of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities together.
dustyfeetmob.com.au

Delegates can also enjoy singing from Kalaya Children’s Centre – a unique, integrated, educational centre within the SA Education Department providing quality long day care and pre-school programs for all children aged six months to six years.

The centre prides itself on offering quality play-based educational programs (rated over all “Exceeding” in 2017) with a responsive focus on Aboriginal culture towards growing Aboriginal leaders of the future. The centre’s core values include warm, respectful and responsive connections with their children, families and the community – recognising the diversity that exists within and between communities through valuing all children’s cultural and social experiences. Kalaya acknowledges and fosters the importance of culture to a child’s sense of self, identity and esteem.

Tal-Kin-Jeri Dance Group was founded by in 1997 by world-renowned performer and ambassador Major (Moogy) Sumner AM and Loretta Sumner. The group showcases Aboriginal dance, stories, music, art, language and culture. It provides education and training to promote a better understanding of Aboriginal culture, and in particular Ngarrindjeri culture.

Tal-Kin-Jeri performance reflects the unique river and coastal cultures of the Ngarrindjeri Nations of the Riverlands, Lower Lakes and the Coorong. Traditional cultural and creation stories are depicted in dance and song and audiences can learn and participate in the performance.

Multi-talented emerging singer-songwriter Nathan May descends from the Arabana, Yawuru and Marridjabin clans.

Nathan writes in memory of his friends and family and as a reminder that there’s always hope. He sings with a wide-open smile from deep within his soul and has an innate ability to craft songs and express feelings of wide appeal to a broad audience that are way beyond his 23 young years.

In 2014, Nathan was featured in Unearthed, the NITV documentary series focusing on the achievements of young Indigenous Australians around the country. Nathan released his first EP Reflections in early 2016. The EP reflects Nathan’s life journey so far. In early 2017, acclaimed Aboriginal musician/artist, Glenn Skuthorpe chose Nathan as support act and percussionist for his east coast of Australia tour in promoting Glenn’s newly released fifth solo album, See My World. Nathan is looking forward to recording his debut album, for release in early 2018.

​Formerly a student at the Centre for Aboriginal Music Studies (CASM) Nathan is now studying Popular Music & Creative Technologies at the University of Adelaide Elder Music Conservatorium.

Bring along your dancing boots ready to yahoo and scoot along to the music of local country rock band The Twang Bangers. With songs from artists including Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, Brooke and Dunn, Alan Jackson and many more, this social event is the perfect way to kick up your heels with colleagues and friends, new and old. Plus, you can enjoy more cultural highlights with Karrl Smith, or as he is known by his Kaurna name, Tamaru Kartinyeri

The conference dinner includes a three-course dinner, entertainment and drinks (sparkling wine, wine, beer and soft drinks). Be wined and dined at arguably one of Adelaide’s most iconic venues.

Thursday 5 September
From 3pm

After the closing of the conference, local artists will showcase their wares in the Arts Market. Purchase something unique to take home from artists including Lynette Crocker with weaving and jewellery-making, Janice Rigney and Southern Elders with basket weaving, as well as artwork from Marra Dreaming, Kura Yelro, NAPA, Tandanya and Warraparinga.

Dr Natasha Reid is a Clinical Psychologist and Research Fellow at the University of Queensland Child Health Research Centre. Natasha’s research is focused on a range of aspects associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) including, prevention, assessment, diagnosis and intervention. Natasha is one of a handful of people who have completed FASD assessment and diagnostic training in Canada, which is the diagnostic system that our Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of FASD is based on. Natasha completed her PhD and worked at the first publicly provided FASD diagnostic service in Australia. Natasha and other staff at UQ have now established the first clinic in Queensland providing assessments for adolescents with FASD. Natasha is passionate about increasing accessibility of services for all neurodevelopmental disorders including FASD, across a range of settings, including youth justice and child protection.

Dr Marjad Page would like to acknowledge and thank his First Nation’s tribes, the Kalkadoon, Waanyi and Ganggalidda people for helping make him who he is and pay respects to the Elders, past, present and future. He would also like to acknowledge all the other First Nation tribes, and non-Indigenous people who have shaped his thoughts and attitudes; and pay respects to those Elders past, present and future. Marjad is known as Machumpa the Kangaroo from his Kalkadoon tribe, and also Milmaja the King Barramundi and Wooloongu the shark as his skin from the Ganggalidda tribe. Marjad is also a proud Christian, which he takes strength from to continue his passion to help people. Marjad is a Rural Generalist Fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM). He is a Specialist GP with accredited advanced skills in Anaesthetics, Obstetrics, and extended skills in Palliative Care, Child Heath, Dermatology and recently an Associate Fellowship in Medical Administration. He also have a special interest in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Marjad’s vision is to develop, lead and inspire those wishing to work in rural and remote settings so as to address the disparity of health status especially in regard to neurodevelopmental difficulties, including FASD.

Briony Brooks has been teaching and leading in various SA Preschools and Children’s Centres over the past 20 years. Her experience in facilitating opportunities for children to connect with the land and the natural environment has influenced the vision and values of each centre she has led, with children having opportunities to explore and learn in environments inside, outside and beyond. In her role as a Claire Warden Associate trainer she has worked with sites and teams to develop their understanding of pedagogy, documentation of learning, and using the natural world as a tool for learning, where children build connections with the world around them, learning with and through nature.

In collaboration with Adelaide Sightseeing, we are pleased to offer a dedicated half day cultural tour just for delegates attending the Conference.

Date: Monday 2nd September 2019
Time: 9:00am – 1:00pm
Pax: Limited 20 pax only
Cost: 95.00 per person (inc GST)