Australia Awards South and West Asia

Ahead of International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples on 9 August, Australia Awards scholars from South Asia and Mongolia gathered online to hear from Julie Ballangarry, a proud Gumbaynggirr/Dunghutti woman and a lecturer at Griffith University, and Prakriti Budha Magar, a current Nepali scholar.

Julie began by reflecting on the theme of this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: Protecting the Rights of Indigenous People in Voluntary Isolation and Initial Contact. She noted that indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation are in a unique situation of vulnerability and among the few who cannot advocate for their own rights, as they do not engage in the systems that the rest of society does.

“This way of life helps them to preserve their unique ways of being, their culture, languages and governance systems,” she said. “Their existence is closely tied to the natural environment and any significant changes to the ecosystem around them can threaten not only individual members, but also the survival of entire groups.”

Julie Ballangarry, a proud Gumbaynggirr/Dunghutti woman.

Moving to Australia’s policy settings, Julie discussed a policy paper titled An Indigenous Foreign Policy: a new way forward, which she co-authored in March 2022 with fellow academic and Wiradyuri man James Blackwell. In it, they argued that Australia’s foreign policy at that time did not take into account First Nations perspectives or ways of being, doing or knowing. “As we are aware, First Nations Australians have the oldest continuing culture and civilisation on the planet,” Julie said. “This should be core to Australia’s identity and statehood. However, it was often only used in a tokenistic way.”

Julie noted that there have been some positive developments since the release of the paper. In March 2023, the Australian Government appointed Mr Justin Mohamed as Australia’s inaugural Ambassador for First Nations People, the first appointment of its kind in the world. Ambassador Mohamed’s responsibilities include embedding First Nations perspectives into Australia’s foreign policy, enhancing Australia’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, progressing First Nations’ rights and interests globally, supporting First Nations trade and investment, and bolstering Australia’s First Nations diplomatic capability and advocacy. The Ambassador for First Nations People also leads the Office for First Nations International Engagement, established by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in December 2023.

Julie said that these developments, in her opinion, demonstrated that the government is “dedicated to the advancement of Indigenous rights and recognition”.

Prakriti Budha Magar, a scholar from Nepal pursuing a Master of Social Justice (Human Rights) at the University of Sydney, then shared her perspective as an indigenous person and an advocate for the rights of women, children and marginalised communities.

Prakriti belongs to the Magar, an indigenous ethnic group in Nepal. She outlined some of the challenges faced by indigenous people in Nepal, including discrimination, loss of indigenous knowledge and languages, occupation of ancestral lands and underrepresentation in government institutions.

Prakriti during her visit to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia.

Prakriti noted that indigenous people are combating the loss of indigenous knowledge and languages by finding ways to reconnect with each other. As an example of intergenerational transferral of indigenous knowledge, she highlighted the case of her grandparents in Jhumlawang sharing their knowledge of traditional agricultural techniques with others. “Despite what we are going through, this is how we are continuing our community and knowledge,” she said.

Reflecting on her recent trip to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park in South Australia, Prakriti likened the way tour guide John Solar, a Yura man, shared his knowledge through storytelling to her own experience of passing on her knowledge and experiences within her own community in Nepal. She also observed several similarities in the challenges faced by indigenous people in Nepal and in Australia.

Scholars in attendance valued hearing about the experience and reflections of both speakers, and left the webinar with a broader perspective on the world’s indigenous peoples.

Following the event, Yangchen Karma from Bhutan said, “The presentations were eye-opening and I appreciated the opportunity to ask a question about strategies to ensure that the rights and perspectives of indigenous people are integrated into policy making”.

Scholar Hashma Adnan from Maldives said, “Attending the webinar for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples was an enlightening experience.”

“It provided deep insights into the struggles faced by indigenous communities globally and prompted me to reflect on how development decisions affect them. As Australia Awards scholars, it is imperative that we advocate for sustainable development that understands, respects, and protects the rights of indigenous peoples.”