The Power and Possibility of Black Knowing

The Japanangka errol West Lecture with Professor Chelsea Watego

This event will highlight how recognising the expertise of Indigenous knowledges can lead to greater freedom and recognition for Indigenous peoples. Professor Chelsea Watego will explore the idea of “Indigenous intellectual nullius,” a term created by Professor Lester Rigney to describe how Indigenous contributions to knowledge have often been ignored or erased. Learn about the power and potential of Indigenous scholarship, showing how it can support Indigenous sovereignty and humanity.

Professor Chelsea Watego is is a Munanjahli and South Sea Islander woman with over 20 years of experience working within Indigenous health as a health worker and researcher. She is currently Professor of Indigenous Health, and Executive Director of QUT’s Carumba Institute.

Chelsea is a prolific writer and public intellectual, having written for IndigenousX, NITV, The Guardian, and The Conversation. She is a founding board member of Inala Wangarra, an Indigenous community development association within her community, a Director of the Institute for Collaborative Race Research, and was one half of the Wild Black Women radio/podcast show, but most importantly, she is also a proud mum to five beautiful children. Her debut book Another Day in the Colony, published by UQ Press, was released in November 2021 and met with critical acclaim.

Hosted by Associate Professor Sadie Heckenberg, Pro Vice-Chancellor Aboriginal Leadership, University of Tasmania.

The Japanangka errol West Legacy
This annual event honours the life and work of the late Japanangka errol West, an internationally recognised poet and scholar. Japanangka errol was a leading Tasmanian Aboriginal academic, known for his scholarship in the field of Indigenous methodologies and pedagogies. Japanangka errol West was a leader in what has become a global body of scholarship unashamedly framed from Indigenous perspectives. It is this legacy of alternative narratives and scholarship that this annual lecture seeks to represent. It also seeks to embody another characteristic of Japanangka errol: his unstinting intellectual generosity to all within his orbit.

Pre-event refreshments
Head to the venue early and enjoy complimentary refreshments from 5.30pm.

Attend online
Prefer to attend online? Secure your tickets here.

Parking
Free parking is available at the venue.

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