Nothing About Us, Without Us

‘Nothing about us, without us!’ A staunch declaration that flatly rejects the legacies of research and knowledge creation about First Nations peoples in Western institutions. After decades of exclusion from university campuses, the 1970s saw First Nations peoples’ entry to the academy—led by strong Indigenous women. They cleared the path for current generations of Indigenous students and academics. The task then was to forge a better future for our communities through higher education and community impact. First Nations academics and leaders in our universities fifty years later still face many challenges. Surviving in institutions built on Western knowledges and methodologies that once actively excluded First Nations peoples is difficult. However, as we race to address the threats of climate change and geopolitical instability, it is imperative that First Nations knowledges and perspectives from across Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Australia are brought to the conversation despite the challenges. Our task now is to embrace the legacy of those that came before us and elevate strong First Nations voices from across the globe. The only way to tackle the existential threats to Country and society is to come together as a community of knowledge holders and researchers. Indigenous and Western knowledges, together, will address the challenges of our time.