Conference Papers
Q&A Session: Women and Leadership: Elders and Emerging Leaders
Tuesday 3:30 - 5:00pm MCC1
Chair: Kirstie Parker
Panel: Val Cooms; Franchesca Cubillo; Michelle Deshong; Pat Dudgeon;Colleen Rosas; Irene Watson
Bio: Kirstie Parker is a Yuwallarai Aboriginal woman from New South Wales. She has more than 20 years experience in journalism and communications. Since July 2006, she has been the Editor of the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander newspaper, the Koori Mail. Prior to this, she was Media and Communications Manager at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in Canberra, ran the award-winning Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC), and was the Director of the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute - Tandanya in Adelaide. She was Director of Public Affairs for ATSIC for two and a half years, and media adviser to a Federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs for two years. She has also worked for ABC Radio and the West Australian newspaper, and was Editor of a weekly regional newspaper in far north QLD. Kirstie is a past member of numerous arts and community committees and advisory bodies, and is currently a member of the board of Reconciliation Australia. In 2003, she received a Centenary Medal for her contribution to the Indigenous community and Australian life.
Bio: Val Cooms belongs to the Nunukul people of Minjeeribah or North Stradbroke Island. Valerie has three children and 6 grandchildren. Valerie has worked in the Australian Public Service for many years in health, employment, Native Title and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Valerie currently works as the Indigenous Co-ordinator at AIATSIS, is a board member of Indigenous Business Australia, previously worked as the CEO of Queensland South Representative Body Aboriginal Corporation and Queensland South Native Title Services and is completing a PhD in Queensland Aboriginal political history from 1965 to 1975 at ANU.
Bio: Franchesca Cubillo is Senior Curator of Indigenous Art at the National Gallery of Australia.
Bio: Michelle Deshong is a Council member of the National Rural Women’s Coalition and Network. Based in Townsville where she is currently undertaking PhD studies in Indigenous Political Leadership. She has recently been profiled in the Qld Government Deadly Stories initiative. Michelle grew up in the Townsville region and completed a BA Honours in Political Science and Indigenous Studies at James Cook University where her work was acknowledged with her being awarded the University Academic Medal and the Dean’s Award in 2008. She is a Fellow, Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and an Accredited Cross Cultural Awareness Trainer – Cross Cultural Communications. In 2010 was an Australian representative for the NGOs representing Rural Women and Indigenous Women at the CEDAW negotiations in New York. Michelle worked closely with the delegation and committee to lobby for key Australian women’s issues and also presented the statement at the CEDAW hearing. Michelle has worked in both the Government and NGO sector and is currently the Qld Program Manager for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategies in Australian Red Cross. She also has extensive experience in areas of facilitation and delivery of training, development and strategic planning. She ahd also acted as the National Manager of the Indigenous Services Branch for Centrelink in Canberra and the Department of the Prime Minister in Cabinet as a Senior Advisor. She has a varied background and interests: 2001 – 2010 Director of the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre, 2003 she co-chaired the Canberra Bushfire Recovery Appeal, was awarded ACT Aboriginal Person of the Year in 2001. She also has varied sporting interests and was selected in the Australian Indigenous Rugby League Team and has been been recognised with many sporting awards.
Bio: Professor Pat Dudgeon is from Bardi and Giga people of the Kimberley in Western Australia. She was the first Aboriginal psychologist to graduate in Australia and has made outstanding contributions to Indigenous psychology and higher education. She was the Head of the Centre for Aboriginal Studies at Curtin University, for some 19 years. She works for the School of Indigenous Studies at UWA and is also a senior researcher with the Telethon Institute of Child Health Research Pat has always worked in ways that empower and develop other Aboriginal people. Pat is leading the Empowerment, Healing and Leadership Project. Associate Professor Roz Walker, has over 25 years experience working with Aboriginal communities. Roz is currently working as a senior researcher with the Centre for Research Excellence in Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing at the Telethon Institute of Child Health Research in Western Australia (TICHR). She has extensive experience in qualitative research, evaluation and community development in Aboriginal community contexts with an interest in empowering, decolonising methodologies and research ethics and principles and a special interest in translating research into policy and practice.
Bio: Colleen Rosas is an Aboriginal woman who grew up in the Cairns area of North Queensland and is a descendant of the Gudjula nation. She has lived in the Northern Territory for 40 years and has a large family and social network throughout northern Australia. Although Colleen had limited formal education when growing up, as a grandmother, she returned to the learning environment and was successful in gaining a BA in Aboriginal Community Development and Management and a Post Graduate Degree in Indigenous Research and Development. Colleens has a strong interest in the criminal justice system and was employed as a RCIADIC Monitoring officer before coordinating the Trial Aboriginal Interpreter Service in the NT. Since April 2000, Colleen has played a key role in the establishment of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Interpreter Service. The service commenced business with 2 support staff and six casual interpreters and under Colleen’s leadership has grown to 60 support staff and in excess of 400 interpreters. The AIS would be one of the largest employers of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory, if not Australia. Colleen continues with her strong interest and advocacy in the criminal justice system and is currently a Director on the board of NAAJA, ( the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency).
Bio: Irene Watson belongs to the Tanganekald and Meintangk peoples of the Coorong and the south east of South Australia. Irene is an academic with the University of South Australia in the David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research. Irene has published in the area of Aboriginal rights and law, including Looking at You: Looking at Me, and is currently working on a manuscript for publication, Raw Law. Irene is an established researcher on Indigenous legal issues in both domestic and international law. Her research is particularly influential in the field of Indigenous knowledges and the law. Irene has worked as a legal practitioner in South Australia, a legal academic and as an international lawyer at the United Nations. Irene’s research provides an independent critique of Indigenous involvement in UN processes. Irene’s extensive knowledge of Indigenous peoples and the law is reflected in her work as a legal practitioner with a long-standing relationship with the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement in South Australia and in particular her research work as a solicitor on the case of Trevorrow v South Australia (No 5) 2007, SASC 285, which remains the only successful stolen-generations case in Australian law. Watson has worked with her family on the struggle to protect country, the recording of traditional language place names, oral histories and language projects. Irene recently became a member of the Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council (IHEAC).