Indigenous Governance Awards

The Indigenous Governance Awards (IGAs) celebrate and promote effective Indigenous Governance, through which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are creating positive change for their futures.

Facilitating Collaboration

Finalist, Category A

The aspect most valued by Working Group members and community residents is that it is a collaborative effort with everyone working together as a team to achieve positive, tangible outcomes. The Working Group actively facilitate collaboration through representation and communication strategies.

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Design for the Local Context

Finalist, Category B

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Supporting Future Leaders

Finalist, Category C

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The Indigenous Governance Toolkit is an online resource developed for Indigenous nations, communities, individuals and organisations searching for information to build their governance.

It covers all the basics – your rules, values, culture, membership, leadership, and decision making – and has many examples of ideas that work from other groups, tools to help you get started, and useful guidance to sustain your efforts.

Mick Dodson speaks about Governance

Full width accordion section for judging criteria

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Speakers

Lilly Graham

Lilly Graham is a proud Quandamooka and Bigambul woman Lilly is a former Youth Director on the board of the Bigambul Native Title Aboriginal Corporation where she represented the youth of the Bigambul community by ensuring their voice...

Speakers

Annie Te One

Annie is a 27-year-old Te Atawa and Ngati Mutunga woman She has grown up in the area where her Lwi are from in Wellington, which has shaped the types of work, and research she pursues Annie is a lecturer at the Victoria University of...

Speakers

John Taylor

John is Emeritus Professor at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at The Australian National University He is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia and a Policy Associate of the Aboriginal Policy R...

Speakers

Desi Rodriguez-lonebear

Desi is a citizen of the Northern Cheyenne tribe from Montana, USA She is pursuing dual PhDs in sociology at the University of Arizona and demography at the University of Waikato in New Zealand Her doctoral research focuses on the cou...

Speakers

Stephanie Rainie

Stephanie is an Ahtna Athabascan woman from Alaska, USA She is based at the University of Arizona where she is Assistant Research Professor, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy; Associate Director and Manager, Tribal Health Prog...

Speakers

Raymond (Ray) Lovett

Ray is a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellow and Research Fellow with the Epidemiology for Policy and Practice group at the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, The Australian National U...

Speakers

Tahu Kukutai

Tahu belongs to the Waikato, Ngāti Maniapoto and Te Aupouri tribes and is Professor of Demography at the Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis, University of Waikato Tahu specialises in Māori and indigenous demographic rese...

Speakers

Maui Hudson

Maui is affiliated to Ngāruahine, Te Mahurehure and Whakatōhea and is currently a member of the Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board Maui is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato...

Speakers

Mia Mckie

Mia McKie is from the Turtle Clan within the Tuscarora Nation, whose territories are located near Niagara Falls The Tuscarora Nation is a mener of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Mia is currently completing her PhD at the University of...

Speakers

June Oscar Ao

Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner

June is a proud Bunuba woman from the remote town of Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberly region She is a strong advocate for Indigenous Australian languages, social justice, women’s issues, and has worked tirelessly t...

The conference focus

The Australian Indigenous Governance Institute

The AIGI holds a core belief that effective and culturally legitimate governance is the fundamental building 7 block for delivering real change. We are dedicated to assisting Nations and organisations achieve good governance practices, and as a result, enable improvement in the daily lives of individuals and families
within those communities.

As hosts of the inaugural IIGC, it was a natural progression for the AIGI to adopt the theme of ‘Self- Determination through Self-Governance’. The format of the IIGC varied to provide maximum audience interest, with guest speakers delivering keynote addresses, panel presentations and workshops on a variety of critical Indigenous governance topics including treaties – development and innovation, gendered lens on governance, innovation and new knowledge, nation building, dispute resolution, and succession planning.

Let this conference be the start of many new conversations in Australia, and beyond, in terms of how we re-harness our belief to control our own destiny and to enact Self-Determination, through Self-Governance, on our terms.

Cadie Fitzgerald

Chief executive officer, The Lowitja Institute 2019