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Indigenous Governance Toolkit

An online resource to help Indigenous organisations, communities, nations and individuals build, strengthen and evaluate their governance.

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Explore our extensive collection of practical online resources to strengthen your practices at all stages of the governance lifecycle.

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Professional development

Professional development

Tailored professional development

Customised professional development and training to help you design a governance framework for your specific purpose, environment and resources.

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Governance reviews and advice

Our advisory service combines our extensive experience and expertise to review your organisation's cultural and corporate governance.

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Upcoming professional development

Explore our professional development events to find the governance training and support you need – including informative masterclasses, webinars and conferences.

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Programs

Programs

Indigenous Governance Awards

The Indigenous Governance Awards identify, celebrate and promote outstanding governance in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations, projects and initiatives across the nation.

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Emerging Directors Program

The Emerging Directors Program is shaping the future of governance by empowering the next generation of First Nations leaders.

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About us

About us

Who we are

AIGI is a national not-for-profit organisation that delivers training and resources to meet the self-determined governance needs of Indigenous Australians.

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What we do

We connect Indigenous Australians to world-class governance practices to support self-determined governance.

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History

Our development as a national institute delivering training and resources to meet the self-determined governance needs of Indigenous Australians.

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We partner with others to expand our reach and impact and share our deep knowledge of Indigenous governance practices.

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Indigenous Governance Toolkit Indigenous Governance Toolkit
AIGI Honoured at 2025 Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards
May 09 2025
AIGI Honoured at 2025 Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards

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Your people
Community inclusion in the board room
Mar 25 2025
Your people
Community inclusion in the board room

Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa’s (KJ) governance structure is unique, reflecting its commitment to shared leadership and community-driven decision-making KJ’s board of directors ensure equitable representation from...

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Your people
ALPA’s board
Mar 21 2025
Your people
ALPA’s board

ALPA is led by an all-Yolŋu board of directors from each of ALPA’s five communities: Galiwin’ku, Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi, Minjilang and Ramingining Two directors are nominated from each community – one a trad...

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Your people
Yappera’s board
Mar 21 2025
Your people
Yappera’s board

Yappera Children’s Service Co-Operative is governed by a board of seven Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander directors These directors are elected by Yappera’s membership during the Annual General Meeting...

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Your people
Supporting women’s financial independence
Mar 21 2025
Your people
Supporting women’s financial independence

NPY Women’s Council (NPYWC) began as an advocacy organisation for women in the NPY region Today, it is also the major provider of human services to women and their families NPYWC is governed and directed by Abor...

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Your culture
Aboriginal community governance in the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires
Mar 07 2025
Your culture
Aboriginal community governance in the 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires

The bushfire season of 2019-20, commonly referred to as the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires, stands as a significant natural disaster in Australian history Its scale and intensity had far-reaching consequence...

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Leadership
Knowledge Transfer Tool
Feb 28 2025
Leadership
Knowledge Transfer Tool

This tool will help you develop an internal process to plan for the future transition of board directors or members of your group Different exercises in this tool will prompt you to consider differently types of k...

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Your people
Board Skills Matrix
Feb 21 2025
Your people
Board Skills Matrix

This resource offers a comprehensive skills matrix designed to assess the key competencies and capabilities of your board Review the skills outlined in the matrix and evaluate each one based on your board members&...

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Systems and Plans Your culture
Culture at KJ
Jan 20 2025
Systems and Plans Your culture
Culture at KJ

Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) was born from the vision of Martu Elders, who sought to preserve their culture, strengthen connections to Country, and ensure a sustainable future for their people This vision was brought...

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Self-determination
Cultural Data Management at KJ
Jan 20 2025
Self-determination
Cultural Data Management at KJ

Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) is committed to safeguarding the authority and control for Martu people over their rich cultural heritage; as well as ensuring their accessibility for current and future generations Throu...

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AIGI / Resource Hub / The Ngarrindjeri Nation

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this website contains the photographs, voices, names and stories of deceased persons.

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Indigenous Governance Training and the CATSI Act Review.
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The Ngarrindjeri Nation
  • Home triangle
    • Home
    • About the Toolkit
    • How to use this Toolkit
    • Toolkit sections overview
  • Understand Indigenous governance triangle
    • Overview
    • Defining governance
    • Indigenous governance
    • Governance lingo
    • Self-determination and governance
    • Effective Indigenous governance
  • Your culture triangle
    • Overview
    • Centre your culture
    • Culture-smart governance
  • Assess your governance triangle
    • Overview
    • When to assess your governance
    • Know your people
    • Learn from history
    • Assess your purpose and vision
    • Recognise your internal culture
    • Map your assets
    • Monitor your wider environment
    • Plan for the future
  • Build your governance triangle
    • Overview
    • How to get started
    • Choose your governance model
    • Decide whether to incorporate
    • Develop your rules or constitution
  • Your people triangle
    • Overview
    • Your key players
    • Members
    • Board of directors
    • CEO and managers
    • Staff
    • Relationships
    • Diversity, equity and inclusion
    • First Nations women in governance
  • Leadership triangle
    • Overview
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
    • Leadership styles
    • Challenges of leadership
    • Develop your leadership
    • Succession planning
    • Evaluate your leadership
  • Systems and plans triangle
    • Overview
    • Policies and procedures
    • Communication
    • Meetings
    • Decision-making
    • Financial management
    • Strategic planning
    • Risk management
  • Conflict resolution and peacemaking triangle
    • Overview
    • Understand conflicts, disputes and complaints
    • Understand peacemaking
    • Implement peacemaking processes
  • Self-determination triangle
    • Overview
    • Self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
    • Nation building, treaty and development
    • Nation building in practice
  • Governance Stories
  • Glossary
  • Other Resources
  • Useful Links
  • Factsheets
  • Acknowledgements

The Ngarrindjeri Nation

Self-determination
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The Ngarrindjeri Nation

The Ngarrindjeri Nation consists of eighteen tribes. Although each tribe has its own defined territory, the nation has a formal governing council, the Tendi, and more recently a peak body known as the Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority (NRA). The NRA board comprises members of key Ngarrindjeri community organisations, bodies and committees (including the Tendi), as well as some elected community members.1Steve Hemming, Daryle Rigney and Shaun Berg, “Ngarrindjeri Nation Building: Securing a Future as Ngarrindjeri Ruwe/Ruwar (Lands, Waters, and All Living Things),” in Reclaiming Indigenous Governance: Reflections and Insights from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States, eds. William Nikolakis, Stephen Cornell and Harry Nelson (Tucson: University of Arizona Press,2019), 82.

Ngarrindjeri flag

Ngarrindjeri flag, designed by Matt Rigney.

In 1999, the Ngarrindjeri Nation of the Lower River Murray, Lakes and Coorong first flew this flag as part of a proclamation to reclaim rights over their lands.

“The 18 dots represent the 18 Laklinyeris (tribes) that make up the Ngarrindjeri Nation. The spears represent the traditional fishing spears of the Ngarrindjeri. The boomerang is the Sacred Boomerang that, when thrown, circles the Laklinyeris, informing their clan leaders to attend a Nation Meeting called Tendi (which makes and interprets Ngarrindjeri Law). The blue represents the waters of Ngarrindjeri Country. The sun gives life. The ochre colour of the boomerang represents our mother — Mother Earth.”2Ngarrindjeri Nation and Steve Hemming, “Ngarrindjeri Nation Yarluwar-Ruwe Plan: Caring for Ngarrindjeri Country and Culture: Kungun Ngarrindjeri Yunnan (Listen to Ngarrindjeri People Talking),” in Natural History of the Coorong, Lower Lakes, and Murray Mouth Region (Yarluwar-Ruwe), eds. Luke Mosley, Qifeng Ye, Scoresby Shepherd, Steve Hemming and Rob Fitzpatrick (Adelaide: University of Adelaide Press, 2018), 5.

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    AIGI acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, and pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging.

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