Indigenous Food Sovereignty in SEQ

Curious about growing or using Indigenous ingredients in your business or home? Ever wondered about the ethics around who's benefiting from the boom of these 'new superfoods'?

Curated in collaboration with Humanize Media, join us for an evening with First Nations women leaders who are transforming our regional food system. This incredible panel will explore Aboriginal food sovereignty, the native food industry and the cultural significance of food, plants, medicines and cultivation practices. Guests will be served delicious canapes, featuring native ingredients from the region.

This event has something for every foodie and community member, but will be particularly valuable for those working in food (hospitality, farming or otherwise) or social enterprise.

Tickets are $40 for general admission, and free for First Nations people.

Additional beverages available to purchase at the bar.

Meet the speakers

• Madonna Thomson - Director of Nyanda Cultural Tours, an Aboriginal owned enterprise which supplies authentic Aboriginal experiences to school, conference and corporate clientele; and owner of Jagera Daran Pty Ltd, a long established, 100% Aboriginal owned and operated Cultural Heritage Consultancy in South East Queensland. Madonna is a proud First Nations woman – a member of the Jagera People and is a grand-niece of the late Senator Neville Bonner. Madonna has worked with First Nations communities in South East Queensland with a particular focus on developing and sharing traditional knowledge about management of the State’s natural resources and environment. She has worked with the University of Queensland for the past few years, in the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, and is also the Chairperson of BushTukker and Botanicals Indigenous Enterprises Cooperative a 100% Indigenous owned and led cooperative which is focused on growing the native botanicals industry.
• Aunty Dale Chapman -  a proud Yuwaalaraay Kooma woman and the owner of My Dilly Bag, based on beautiful Gubbi Gubbi Country. For the past 23 years, Aunty Dale Chapman formed this business with a dream that is fuelled by her deep cultural pride - to achieve true equality for all Australians.  My Dilly Bag proudly builds awareness of the oldest living culture in the world - the Australian Aboriginal culture - to educate the national and international community and together take positive steps towards reconciliation. My Dilly Bag works sustainably with Aboriginal communities that grow and harvest bush tucker ingredients, and Aboriginal artisan creators. By providing a platform to develop, market and distribute Aboriginal products, My Dilly Bag empowers communities to maintain their traditions, creates new income streams and cultural pride. This improves the lifestyle of Indigenous people and provides a positive landscape for future generations.
• Aunty Terri Waller - a DTulua (Dooloowar) descendent of mixed ethnic heritage living on Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi country (Sunshine Coast). She is the Managing Director of SevGen, a community development organisation that aims to create wellness through connection and relationship. SevGen’s powerful social enterprise model empowers the social change that Terri and her mob are making through multiple projects in the community, including Galeru Bushtucker Orchard and Deadly Espresso Distribution and Cafe.
• Dominique Chen -  a Gamilaroi woman, and interdisciplinary researcher living on Jinibara Country in South East Queensland. She lectures within the Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art, Griffith University, and is undertaking PhD research at the University of Technology Sydney in the area of relational creative practice and urban-based Aboriginal food and medicine growing. She is a co-founder of Yuruwan, an Aboriginal-run not-for-profit supporting learning opportunities for culturally-centred, urban-based food and medicine growing, by and for Aboriginal people and communities.

MC

Our MC for the evening is Teila Watson. Known in her creative work as 'Ancestress,' Teila is a Birri Gubba and Kungalu woman, actress, poet, singer and lyricist whose practice is influenced by climate change, decolonisation, the impact of First Nations knowledges and practice on country and people, and the importance of First Nations sovereignty.

Musical guest

We're looking forward to being joined on the night by Nix Gross, singer-songwriter and proud Quandamooka woman. Her music has a soulful folk-pop sound, thought-provoking lyrics &
a humorous charm that draw from her mixed cultural background and diverse life experiences, with a message of pride and connection.

For your tastebuds

Led by Chef Kara Pulou, Kuppibunda Kitchen trains marginalised and at-risk young people in hospitality skills that provide them with a new career path and connection with culture, while serving up incredible menus using native ingredients. Kuppibunda Kitchen will be catering this event with unique canapes and a delicious mocktail on arrival, showcasing their work and a range of ingredients discussed by the panel.

This event was made possible through a grant from Women's Environmental Leadership Australia's 'Giving Circle.' It is part of SEQ Food Summit - view the full program here.

Artwork by Humanize Media.

Food Connect Foundation acknowledges the traditional owners of country across South East Queensland, particularly the Turrbal and Yuggerah peoples of Magandjin (Brisbane) where this event will take place. We honour their connections to land and waterways, extensive food knowledge and wisdom the original farmers, custodians and community carers of this country for thousands of years.