edited by Bindi Bennett - Our voices: aboriginal social work

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Mick Adams is a descendent of the Yadhiagana/Wuthathi peoples of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland and the Gurindji people of central western Northern Territory. His doctoral research study investigating the prevalence and correlation of sexual dysfunction among males of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where Mick is a respected Elder, was published in 2014 by Magpie Goose Publishing under the title Mens Business. Recognised and credited as one of the leading Aboriginal researchers on male health, he has built a national reputation, credibility, and standing as an advocate for the improved health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Bindi Bennett is a Gamilaraay woman who is a senior social work lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Her interests include equine therapy, trauma, Aboriginal social work, Aboriginal identity and wellbeing as well as increasing cultural responsiveness in social work education. Bindi has over 20 years of practical experience in the fields of Aboriginal social work, child and adolescent mental health, schools and health.

Jesse John Fleay is Senior Research staff at Edith Cowan University. He has a variety of research interests, including health, human rights, and access to education. His affiliations include the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet and the Kurongkurl Katitijin Centre for Indigenous Australian Education along with Research at Edith Cowan University.

Sue Green is a Galari woman of the Wiradyuri nation, a mother and a grandmother. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and a PhD in Social Sciences. Her PhD was titled The History of Aboriginal Welfare in the Colony of NSW 1788-1856 and looks at how welfare was used as a tool of colonisation. The thesis discusses how Aboriginal People became welfarised as a result of colonisation; welfarisation is not just about dependency but also about the processes that are developed and the discourse around the processes and people. Sue is the Professor of Indigenous Studies and coordinator of the Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage Program at Charles Sturt University.

Alicia Green is a Galari Wiradyuri yinaa (woman) and is currently undertaking a Bachelor of Social Work at Charles Sturt University. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Wiradjuri Language, Culture and Heritage. Alicia is interested in how social work can work with Indigenous people worldwide to address issues regarding intergenerational trauma and also the rebuilding of Indigenous nations and ensuring that Indigenous people are able to reclaim their sovereignty.

Michael Anthony Hart is a citizen of the Fisher River Cree Nation. He served as Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledges and Social Work, A Director of Master of Social Work based in Indigenous Knowledges program, and professor at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba. As of June 2018 he is the Vice Provost, Indigenous Engagement for the University of Calgary.

Amy May Kennedy is a proud Wiradjuri woman from Hillston located in the Riverina. She is a recent Social Work graduate from the University of New South Wales. In 2018, Amy wrote an honours thesis entitled Connection to community and culture - An understanding of Australian Indigenous resilience. Amy is particularly interested in researching a culturally appropriate and ecological definition of resilience relevant to Indigenous Australians. Amy currently lives in Sydney and is working as project advisor in child protection policy for State Government.

Steven Larkin Steven Larkin is a Kungarakany and Yanyula man from Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. He is the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Newcastle. He was previously the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Indigenous Leadership at Charles Darwin University. Steves appointment as PVC at Charles Darwin University in 2009 was historic as Steve became the first ever Aboriginal person to be appointed to a senior executive position at an Australian university. He was also Director of the Australian Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Education (ACIKE) at CDU.

Professor Larkin holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the Queensland University of Technology, a Masters degree in Social Science from Charles Sturt University and a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Queensland.

Professor Larkin has served on numerous national advisory committees in Indigenous Affairs. He has chaired the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Advisory Council or ATSIHEAC (then Indigenous Higher Education Advisory Council) for three years (20092012) and was a member of the Panel for the Behrendt Review on Indigenous higher education in Australia.

Steve continues to provide invaluable input as a member of several well-respected professional affiliations which include:

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Higher Education Consortium (NATSIHEC)

National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN)

The Healing Foundation

Beyond Blue

Peter Mataira is of Maori descent from Aotearoa New Zealand and an associate professor and current director of the Master of Social Work program at the School of Social Work, Hawaii Pacific University, Hawaii. He is known for his research in, and advocacy for, indigenous human rights, localised expressions of social work, economic justice, and community action. He co-chaired the inaugural international conference, Indigenous Voices in Social Work: Not Lost in Translation in Hawaii in 2007 and has been an active member of the international indigenous social work advisory group since this time. Dr. Mataira is committed to the academic and professional success of his students and serves as an active mentor and advisor to several doctoral candidates across Europe, Asia and the Pacific. He was a leading architect in drafting the Indigenous Voices in Social Work resolution submitted to the International Federation of Social Workers in 2013. Dr. Mataira has authored articles related to Indigenous research and evaluation methodologies, non-profit social entrepreneurship and innovation, masculinity, resilience, and sustainability. He graduated with his Bachelor of Social Work and Masters degree in Sociology from Massey University Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand, and earned his doctoral degree in Social Policy and Social Work from Massey University, Albany, Auckland. Dr. Mataira co-chairs the World Indigenous Nations Universities Hawaii Pasifika (WINU-HP), a non-profit organisation focused on advanced Indigenous education. He enjoys running, tennis, rugby, travel, and spending time with family.