Indigenous Knowledge in policy and self-governance

Pearl Andrews Bachelor of Indigenous Knowledge (Law and Justice) student

Pearl didn’t learn much about First Nations Peoples at school. As a non-Indigenous woman, for her it became crucial to access that knowledge held within the cultures and practised in Australia for millennia.

“I have absolutely loved this Bachelor. It has made studying so fun and an experience full of passion and excitement. I’ve had a lot of confrontation, which has been really important, and undergone a transformation both individually and academically.”

If Pearl had to choose just one highlight of the degree, she would with no doubt allude to the close collaboration with Gnibi College of Indigenous Australian Peoples and the local Bundjalung Elders.

“Among the available majors, I’ve picked Law and Justice because I’d like to be equipped with knowledge of the Western legal frameworks to deconstruct its colonial foundations and look to embed Indigenous knowledge within the law.”

Despite her young age, Pearl is already flying high, and with the help of a 2023 prestigious New Colombo Plan scholarship – which she has recently received – her career can only reach new heights.

“I’ll be heading off to Fiji where I’ll be focusing on Pacific Islanders’ world views and looking at how local communities are effectively combating climate change through embedding localised knowledge into policy and self-governance.”