GBK focus for 2023 AIATSIS Mabo Lecture

Gur A Baradharaw Kod (GBK, Sea and Land Council, Torres Strait) Chair Ned David delivered this year’s Mabo lecture to the 2023 AIATSIS Summit and Youth Forum held in Perth last week.

The theme of this year’s AIATSIS Summit was Navigating the spaces in between – foregrounding the brilliance and value of Indigenous ways of knowing, seeing and being in the world

The first plenary session opened with addresses from summit partner South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council (SWALSC) chair Brendan Moore, a speech by AIATSIS Council chair Jodie Sizer and a keynote address by Australia’s inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People Ambassador Justin Mohamed.

“Our gathering is particularly important now, more than ever, with First Nations Affairs in the forefront of the country’s minds,” Ms Sizer said. “Coming together for our people, networking, connecting, and making new relationships - this is the way we do our business.

“This year, we have more than 1400 delegates and over 400 speakers covering five streams each day and hosting our International Indigenous brothers and sisters as part of the program.

“This year’s theme, Navigating the spaces in between, foregrounds and celebrates the brilliance and value of Indigenous ways of knowing, seeing and being. The Summit provides an opportunity to bring conversations from the periphery into focus, recognising that there are opportunities for innovation, risks, and complexity in the spaces in between.”

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney said in the year since she had been appointed they had made progress. I spoke with great enthusiasm about the things I’d be working on, the full implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, justice reinvestment, and the NT homelands, replacing CDP and Closing the Gap, and a year on we’ve made progress, thank you for inviting me again this year,” she said. “AIATSIS is vital to preserving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and stories, and your annual summits are one of the ways we strengthen our cultures and knowledge.”

The third day was opened by Gail and Kaleb Mabo, who were greeted on stage to applause by an enthusiastic audience.

Ms Mabo announced she was passing down responsibility to her son Kaleb to allow the next generation to step up and shine.

Mr Mabo spoke of the significance of the AIATSIS Summit for the Mabo family and how the spirits of the ancestors will be guiding the next generation as they take on the new responsibility to continue the Mabo legacy.

He shared the background and history of his family before receiving a standing ovation and handing over to Mr David to deliver the 2023 Summit Mabo Lecture.

Mr David spoke of the honour and privilege of being asked to present the Mabo lecture.

He said he talked about the background of the GBK and their commitment to creating a platform to strengthen communities.

“It was an incredible opportunity to be given the privilege to do the Mabo lecture,” he said.

“The title of the talk was GBK Wakai – Voice of Traditional Owners in Endeavour and Torres Straits and it’s central theme was the nexus, or the point of connections between actions through people’s movements and legal reform, and translating that into policy.

“It covered Governance, Climate Change, inefficiencies of the current governance and bureaucracy, as well as insights for consideration in the era of Voice, Treaty and Truth.”

In the five days of sessions speakers explored subthemes such as belonging and identity, with discussions on connection to Country and community, sovereignty, education, and future paths –sharing local experiences and successes across regions.

University of South Australia’s A/Prof Odette Pearson presented a paper on Prioritising social and emotional wellbeing in home-based Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander aged care on Day 2 of the conference.

Torres News will publish a shortened version of Mr David’s Mabo Lecture in our next issue.

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