On the 2nd of November we were visited by Jim Walker, a Jagera, Yiman and Goreng Goreng First Nations man who lectures at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, specialising in Indigenous knowledges and bushfood promotion.
He came by our Curtin offices, meeting staff and engaging in conversations about the work we are both doing. We exchanged and shared knowledge with Jim as well as gaining some valuable insight around Indigenous knowledge security in the science curricula which, he kindly shared with us. After lunch, we took Jim to the lab. Simone gave Jim an introduction to the science Healing Country is currently doing in the seed pelleting and seed supply chain space. Jim was grateful and excited to take back his learnings to UQ and utilise the information he gained about the seed standards to improve ecological restoration initiatives he is a part of back in Queensland.
Earlier this year at the Life of Mine Conference in Brisbane, Prof. Stephen van Leeuwen, Prof. Fiona Haslam-Mckenzie, and Christian Miller-Sabbioni, joined Jim on a panel facilitated by Healing Country board member Kia Dowell . The panel discussed Indigenous participation in mine closure and post-mining economy transitions. Jim visited Perth last year at the CRC-TiME annual conference held in Perth in his capacity as chair of the First Nations Advisory Team (FNAT) where there was a strong presence of CRC FNAT and ARC Healing Country First Nations participants. We will continue to nurture our relationship and collaboration with Jim and UQ to unlock better outcomes across the country, for Country.
