Editorial
Volume 6 of Issues presents a compelling set of essays that delve into various facets of First Nations knowledge and scholarship in Australia. This multilingual volume, written in Mandarin, Vietnamese, Arabic, and English, features contributions from Indigenous scholars and practitioners who bring distinct perspectives on Indigenous identity, culture, health, and historical trauma. The essays have not been translated into the aligning Aboriginal languages of the authors due to the direct impacts of past and current Australian Government policies that have maligned the transmission of Indigenous languages in the country now known as Australia. The contributors are — Michelle Locke, Sarah Kennedy, Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews, Shannon Foster, Aunty Frances Bodkin, Uncle John Foster, Uncle Gavin Andrews, Aunty Karen Adams, Jodi Stephenson, Peter Fryer, Brooke Fryer, Maripa Teo, Uncle Eddie Burge, and Bronwyn Carlson.
In the opening article, Locke explores the cultural significance of protocols of offering a Welcome and an Acknowledgement to Country. Drawing on her personal and professional experiences, Locke emphasises the importance of understanding Aboriginal identity, connection to Country, and the respectful practices that underpin these protocols. She critiques the ways in which scholars have misunderstood and undervalued Aboriginal knowledge. Locke calls for a deeper, more genuine engagement with Indigenous traditions, particularly in academic and public spaces. She urges a shift away from perfunctory gestures and to approach these protocols with respect and understanding of Indigenous Knowledge systems.
Bodkin-Andrews, Foster, Frances Bodkin, Foster, Andrews, Adams, Stephenson, Fryer, Fryer, Teo, Burge, and Carlson explore the fraught relationship between D’harawal Knowledges and the colonial archives. They argue that the archives often obscure Indigenous perspectives and propagate harmful, genocidal narratives. Using the Story of Wiritjiribin— the First Lyrebird—as a central narrative, the authors emphasise the resilience and survival of the D’harawal people, contrasting their deeply connected, communal Lores with the violent, colonial practices that culminated in the Appin Massacre of 1816. The authors reveal how, despite colonial forces seeking to disrupt Indigenous ways of life, ancestral wisdom and sacred connections persisted. Through an Indigenous account of events often skewed by settler histories and by considering the ongoing cultural and political ramifications of the massacre, this essay calls for a need to respect diverse Aboriginal epistemologies and ancestral connections that predate colonial knowledge production.
Kennedy’s piece argues for a strengths-based approach to addressing youth physical inactivity, emphasising the long-term health benefits of promoting physical activity from an early age. She highlights the disparity in activity levels, particularly among Indigenous youth, and critiques the barriers preventing many from meeting physical activity guidelines. She emphasises successful school-basedprograms, such as “Resistance Training for Teens,” as examples of how empowering educators can enhance health outcomes. The article calls for continued collaboration to scale culturally relevant, school-based programs to foster lasting change in youth physical health across diverse communities.
In presenting the first Indigenous-focused volume of Issues, the editorial team invites you to engage with these bilingual essays that collectively address diverse Indigenous perspectives ranging from the significance of Indigenous cultural protocols to the reclamation of Indigenous Knowledge systems and histories and health empowerment. We hope that this volume serves as a catalyst for thoughtful reflection and encourages a deeper commitment to the ongoing dialogue surrounding the health, histories, and futures of Indigenous peoples and communities.
Corrinne Sullivan, Nimi Techi and Malini Sur
Editors
School of Social Sciences and Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
