On behalf of UOW’s Indigenous Strategy Unit we would like to wish you all safe travels during the holiday period. The team have had a massive year, collaborating across our multi-campus to provide guidance, advice, and feedback.
Some of the highlights of the year include but are not limited to:
Early in the year, the ISU launched our Indigenous Education and Engagement Strategy 2024-2028. Our strategy encompasses deliverables and strategic actions to resurrect, reinvigorate and advance our partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff and community. This strategy navigates the transformative path of students and celebrates the interconnectedness of community and education. Priorities set out within the strategy provide an overarching framework of self-determination which illuminates the university’s commitment to an accountable and transparent way forward for our staff, students, communities and partners. We encourage you all to take some time to read UOW’s Indigenous Education and Engagement Strategy 2024-2028.
In March, we launched UOW’s Forging United and Safe Environments (FUSE) network on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The FUSE network is committed to celebrating diversity & creating culturally safe campuses. The network aims to ensure that incidents of racial discrimination & harassment are consistently dealt with and addressed, whilst using the incidents as a platform for education, learning & positive change. The network currently has over 100 active members
To join, please complete our membership form.FUSE, a network committed to shutting down racism within the university environment through forging United Safe Environments, UOW is motivated to celebrate the diversity, dignity and human rights of all individuals who engage with its campuses.
FUSE provides students, staff and guests of UOW a Safeway to report and discuss racist behaviour to accommodate however you feel comfortable having that discussion.
Fuse offers multiple ways to action your concerns, and you can always remain anonymous.
An inclusive campus starts with you.
If you witness or are the victim of discriminatory behaviour, speak up, get in touch with a Fuse Network member.
There, you can discuss the incident privately, and if you wish to do so, they can help you file a report.
If you are comfortable addressing the perpetrator directly, state their actions are unacceptable and if you are a witness, support the recipient by letting them know you are not OK with what occurred.
Alternatively, you can lodge a complaint to the University of Wollongong's internal complaints process or to the Human Rights Commission.
FUSE provides a safe network for open conversation about racism and discrimination to learn, educate and create positive change.
In August, UOW ISU’s team worked alongside Oxfam, the Fred Hollows Foundation & ANTAR to host Australia’s inaugural National Allyship Summit. Strategically taking place on International Allyship Day, with the aim to foster meaningful dialogue, building relationships, & inspiring action towards justice & equity for Indigenous peoples. Indigenous leaders from across the Country came together to champion continued allyship on the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The event fostered collaboration, understanding, & solidarity among Indigenous leaders & ally organisations in pursuit of recognition & justice.
In early 2024, we updated UOW’s terminology guide & educative resource "You Can’t Say That - but consider this" booklet. We can all use the booklet to knowingly influence change & introduce appropriate language into the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander discourse. With the introduction of a You Can Do This section, we provide tools & good practice approaches. Importantly, we all need to understand & acknowledge that language matters, words have power & sometimes words are used in ways that create unsafe spaces, undermine otherwise respectful relationships & present barriers to meaningful engagement. Respectful relationships matter now more than ever & this resource is the University's contribution to truth telling & healing.
In early October, ISU introduced the statement of commitment to recognising & protecting Indigenous Cultural & Intellectual Property (ICIP) & Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov). Working alongside Terri Janke & Co, the statement guides respectful engagement with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples, ICIP & data, providing an overview of UOW’s commitment across all areas & practices of the University. The statement is underpinned by the 10 True Tracks® principles, a framework supporting best practice engagement with Indigenous peoples, their ICIP & ID. The statement of commitment provides the direction for tailored & fit for purpose responses to identify & emerging needs such as the protection of ICIP in research & teaching, contractual recognition, ethics, & data sovereignty.
Throughout the year, the ISU team have been working collaboratively across the university. We offer a range of Indigenous advancement opportunities and initiatives for academic and professional staff, including a Country led program to experience and learn how Country is our knowledge system and teacher. In turn, Country invited staff members to have a reciprocal respectful relationship with Country, our UOW Aboriginal staff members, Elders and Community members.
Indigenous strategy has engaged with over 250 staff regarding curriculum transformation, ran over 135 yarning circles and held over 16 off campus on Country cultural immersion experiences. We are looking forward to our continuing relationships in 2025 and welcome SMAH, Student Equity and Success and the Research Development and Impact Teams.
If you are interested to learn with and from to enhance your personal and professional practice, please complete our expression of interest form.
A core initiative for a more inclusive, responsible, and supportive environment, driving healing and fundamental change.
In late October UOW launched UOW’s inaugural Healing and Recognition Track (HART) plan 2024-2027. In the aftermath of the Voice to Parliament referendum, UOW is prioritising healing and truth telling on its journey to reconciliation. The HART plan has been presented to UOW as an expression of self-determination and as a guide to reset our tracks to embody truth-telling, healing, and recognition within the sector. The HART plan reflects the commitment and drive within UOW to focus on solutions, strengths, positive narratives and to celebrate success
During the launch, participants engaged in collaborative activities, including seed planting and a weaving session. Staff were invited to contribute a weaved coil which will be placed onto a heart-shaped metal sculpture as a symbol of solidarity and strength. Over the following days UOW staff, students and community had the opportunity to engage in a range of post-launch HART activities including the opening of the Matriarch Exhibition, Cedar Courtyard working bee and the planting of a native herb garden, inflatable GeoDome Theatre show, and a staff team scavenger hunt.
In the evening of the HART launch, ISU hosted the Official Opening of a Matriarch Exhibition featuring portraits by proud Kairi artist, Broc Piazza. Taking 18 months in the making, Broc created an impressive display of charcoal sketches honouring 9 Indigenous women from the region. This exhibition celebrates the strength and resilience of Indigenous women, acknowledging their vital role in shaping families, communities, and culture. Honouring the everyday matriarchs whose love and leadership inspire generations. The portraits portray local Indigenous women as an ode to the artists' gratitude for their guidance and the continual love they share.
"The bower nest - The bowerbird that built this nest is very special to us at WIC as he is part of the family now having chosen his home in our native garden" - Ryan, category 1 winner
Please get in touch to discuss usage permission:
As part of our post HART launch activities, we hosted the Official Awards Ceremony for the Sustainable Snapshot - Putting Country into Focus exhibition. The photo competition and exhibition showcased the connection between UOW staff and students to Australian landscapes. It aimed to highlight the intrinsic link between caring for Country and environmental sustainability, encouraging reflection on personal relationships with the land and actions taken to support its health. It acknowledges the rich knowledge systems of Aboriginal peoples and aims to foster awareness of our collective identity as part of Country.
Special thanks to the Sustainable Futures Committee their support in making this exhibition possible and Alison Scobie in UOW’s Environment Unit for all your hard work, dedication, and ongoing enthusiasm.
A total of 78 entries were eligible for our photo competition.
As part of our post HART launch activities, we collaborated with UOW’s PULSE Student Engagement Team to offer students, staff, and the wider community a unique opportunity to engage with native plants in our White Cedar Garden. Working alongside UOW’s Landscaping team, we have carefully curated a selection of plants that hold cultural significance to the People of the Five Island Dreaming, alongside other species traditionally used by Aboriginal peoples across Australia. This space invites you to observe, learn, and connect with the rich history and knowledge embedded in these plants, fostering a deeper appreciation for their cultural importance and practical uses. Signage and recipes will be available in early 2025. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage as a collective community to care for Country and learn more about UOW’s inaugural Healing and Recognition Track (HART).
Congratulations to the PULSE team, who have continued to walk and work alongside ISU on Cedar Courtyard initiatives. In 2023, we ran a Community consultation event, where the native herb garden was proposed. Looking forward to working with you in 2025.
ISU was lucky enough to source the inflatable planetarium-style GeoDome as part of our post-launch activities.
Working collaboratively with CAHBAH and Science Space we offered 4 sessions throughout the day. Offering an immersive experience called The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia’s Epic History.
The show explores Australia’s past, incorporating traditional and scientific knowledge to tell Australia’s epic story and transport viewers to 4 locations
The Earth Above aims to contribute to a transformation of our understanding of Australia’s ancient Indigenous heritage and environmental past and to allow the wider community to engage with the pressing issue of how to protect our unique heritage and biodiversity into the future.
Shout out to Parker from Science Space, your energy and enthusiasm made this a memorable experience for all to remember.
Following the launch of UOW's Healing and Recognition Track (HART) plan, the Indigenous Strategy unit hosted a staff team competition. Teams were provided with a map of the Wollongong campus, where they were required to race around to as many checkpoints as they could, answer the questions and engage in team challenges. Challenges included ochre crushing, learning to play a snake whistle using Daniella and identify plants and tree species. A total of eight teams took on the challenge with prizes being awarded for 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place.
Congratulations to the winning teams:
Thanks to all the teams who participated, we hope you all had as much fun as we did.
Following the HART launch we have been continuing to work on weaving us together as a collective community. As seen in the images, the individual coiled weaves are being weaved together to form our heart. This project provides an opportunity for UOW staff, students, alumni and Community to recognise and acknowledge how important it is for us to come together for change to occur. It reminds us that we all have a part to play, it does not matter whether it is small or large, we are all a necessity for transformative change to occur.
Shout out to Andrew Scobie in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences for designing and crafting our metal heart frame, and Kathleen Cambourne in the Library Division for supporting with weaving sessions.
Please reach out to ccct-Indigenous@uow.edu.au if your team has not had the opportunity to engage and wishes to.
In November, ISU worked collaboratively with UOW’s Alumni team to host a Community HART event. Over 100 people joined us at the event to participate in a range of traditionally inspired and Country centred activities. During the event, our guest had the opportunity to engage in a collaborative art project with one of our Indigenous alumna, Brittney Angus.
The art session encouraged the guests to reflect on their relationship to Country and express it through a small painting. Digital designer and artist Brittney Angus will collate all the images and design one collaborative art piece using all the works. Participants were also provided with the opportunity to engage in a smoking/cleansing, weaving session run by one of our local weavers from Buribun Art, explore the Matriarch exhibition and run around campus for a scavenger hunt. We hope the that this event supported in awakening understanding, build relationships, and inspire collaborative and respectful action driven by intent.
