News | Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together

Dreamtime in Perth & Long Walk

Dreamtime in Perth & Long Walk

Due to COVID restrictions in Victoria, this year’s AFL Dreamtime game between Essendon and Richmond was moved from the MCG to Whadjuk Perth Stadium. The Long Walk, an annual pre-game event inspired by the work of former AFL star Michael Long, took place between the WACA and the stadium with around 6,000 people attending. It featured a ceremony and presentation at the WACA, including Welcomes to Country, and a speech by WA Premier Mark McGowan. The Premier spoke about the hist

New Sculpture as Part of 'Songline Energy Maintenance'

New Sculpture as Part of 'Songline Energy Maintenance'

A first-of-its-kind sculpture has been unveiled in the Shire of Plantagenet in Western Australia. The sculpture is a result of a collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal artists and conservation groups bringing together Aboriginal wisdom with Western science to inspire social and ecological restoration. Local Aboriginal artworks embedded in the sculpture represent the stories of significant plants and wildlife from the region. These are juxtaposed with artwork that

West Pilbara Visit

West Pilbara Visit

The Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together team has visited the West Pilbara at the invitation of the Pilbara Aboriginal Voice (PAV) to meet and build further relationships with local Aboriginal Elders and leaders, as well as with non-Aboriginal leaders. To our knowledge, this is the first time such a trip has occurred. Two workshops were held, one in Roebourne called Wagagu Guma, and one in Port Hedland called Wakaku Julu (both local translations of ‘walking together’). These work

Reconciliation in Action Forum

Reconciliation in Action Forum

Danjoo Koorliny has hosted a Reconciliation in Action Forum in partnership with Reconciliation WA as part of this year’s National Reconciliation Week. The session was facilitated by Danjoo Koorliny team member and Reconciliation WA board member Ezra Jacobs-Smith, and featured a panel with the four Danjoo Koorliny co-directors Dr Noel Nannup, Dr Richard Walley, Prof Colleen Hayward and Carol Innes. The forum was attended by around 180 people, and was held at Optus Stadium dire

Meeting with City of Perth Elders

Meeting with City of Perth Elders

The Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together co-directors have met with the City of Perth Elders at Council House Perth to stay connected and updated in relation to the Danjoo Koorliny project. The Elders and co-directors spoke about the Danjoo Koorliny project, some of the goals for areas that will change between now and 2029, methods and ways of working, the important and critical role of Elders and Eldership governance, and that we are in a transition stage of new possibilities in

ANU Perth Office Opening

ANU Perth Office Opening

The Danjoo Koorliny team has attended the opening of the Australian National University's (ANU) Western Australian office. Dr Richard Walley OAM gave the Welcome to Country, while Dr Noel Nannup OAM was also in attendance. The Governor of Western Australia and Danjoo Koorliny Ambassador the Honourable Kim Beazley AC delivered a keynote. Former WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt was also present. The opening was MC'd by ANU Chancellor the Honourable Julie Bishop, and also featured talks f

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar

The Danjoo Koorliny team has met with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO and her WA team. The informal dinner was a chance for the Danjoo Koorliny leaders to reconnect with June, to update her on the Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together project, and to hear more about June’s latest work including the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women's Voices) report. Other invited guests also attended. June said she was excited about the Danjoo Koorliny pro

New WA Parliament Welcomed to Country and Officially Opened

New WA Parliament Welcomed to Country and Officially Opened

Dr Richard Walley OAM has performed the Welcome to Country for the opening of the 41st Parliament of Western Australia, the first time a welcome has been performed in the Legislative Council during an opening of parliament. "This is a spiritual place - a place of learning, a place of sharing. We call it the Whadjuk Boodja," Richard said. "We ask the good spirit to guide us not only through this official presentation today, but the informal parts - when we're making decisions,

Healing Country Event

Healing Country Event

Curtin University has hosted an event called ‘Restoration Economy: looking at restoration through an Indigenous lens’ at Boola Bardip WA Museum. Curtin described the event as follows: "The restoration economy provides a unique opportunity to improve the way we approach ecological restoration in regional and remote Australia. Discover how this innovative approach to restoring land can sustainably reconnect natural, and socioeconomic environments, to support the customary acti

Danjoo Koorliny with Education and Reconciliation

Danjoo Koorliny with Education and Reconciliation

Danjoo Koorliny Walking Together has supported a reconciliation event for the WA Department of Education staff at Roelands Mission near Bunbury. The day was designed to assist in the development of the department’s vision for reconciliation, and their new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Around 60 staff attended the event, including senior staff, and the RAP steering committee and working group. The Danjoo Koorliny team contributed a number of elements throughout the event.

Noongar Land Enterprise Group Opens New Native Tree Nursery

Noongar Land Enterprise Group Opens New Native Tree Nursery

The Noongar Land Enterprise (NLE) Group has opened its new native tree nursery near Northam on Ballardong Noongar Country. (See volunteering information below.) The nursery is called 'Boola Boornap' (The Place of Many Trees), and was purchased by NLE with capital investment and support from Danjoo Koorliny key partner Commonland, as well as the COmON Foundation. The nursery already has pre-purchase orders for one million seedlings from around 50 different species, with produc

"Fire is sacred, knowledge is sacred, country is sacred." Oral McGuire Addresses a Global Audience

"Fire is sacred, knowledge is sacred, country is sacred." Oral McGuire Addresses a Global Audience

Danjoo Koorliny land, food and fire project lead Oral McGuire has addressed a global audience of around 1000 people as part of the Presencing Institute’s GAIA program, co-hosted on this occasion with Danjoo Koorliny key partner Commonland. Oral spoke about Aboriginal-led regenerative land management principles and practices, the use of fire in cultural burnings, and the experiences of working to restore his traditional country. Oral opened the session with the Balardong Nyung

Danjoo Koorliny Adds New Team Member

Danjoo Koorliny Adds New Team Member

Danjoo Koorliny recently added a new full-time team member to support the leadership with day-to-day operational tasks and to provide input into the project design. Can you tell who it is? That's right...you guessed it... Ezra Jacobs-Smith has joined the team on a 12-month break from the WA Government Department of Premier and Cabinet. Carol Innes, who has been working part-time on the Danjoo Koorliny operational team, will also soon move into a more full-time role with the o

Galup Social Impact Event

Galup Social Impact Event

The creative team behind the sold-out Perth Festival performance 'Galup' recently hosted, together with Birdiya Noongar Cultural Consultants, an interactive conversation about social impact, healing, and positive intercultural relationships. The event was held at Galup Lake Monger where the presenters introduced Galup's Social Impact Campaign. During the event, the team encouraged participants to provide insights, and voice ideas for how to turn Galup's social impact goals in

Graduate Certificate Social Impact Unit Wraps Up

Graduate Certificate Social Impact Unit Wraps Up

The latest Social Impact unit as part of the Graduate Certificate in Social Impact at the University of Western Australia (UWA) has now come to an end for this year. Carol Innes and Prof Paul Flatau recently joined the class for their final day. The unit is taught by Katie Stubley with strategic input from the Danjoo Koorliny leaders, and covers topics such as cultural processes and authority; Aboriginal knowledge, processes and ways of doing; social innovation; social desi

Inclusive Leadership

Inclusive Leadership

Carol Innes writes in marie claire magazine about addressing systemic racism and creating inclusive leadership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. "In order to address systemic racism and bring about inclusive leadership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia, we have to get real (or RREAL). Here is my advice for leaders and organisations wanting to take action to encourage diversity…" Read the rest of the article here. #DanjooKoorliny

Journeying Together at Nowanup

Journeying Together at Nowanup

Noongar Elder Eugene Eades recently hosted an event at the Nowanup property that brought together Noongar Elder Dr Noel Nannup and other Noongar leaders, as well as non-Aboriginal people. The event was facilitated by Eugene, Noel, Vivienne Robertson and Rod Safstrom, and explored connections between Noongar, Western and Middle Eastern wisdom. The event was attended by 35 people, many of whom travelled to Nowanup from Perth and Denmark. Nowanup is part of Greening Australia an

Wayne Webb Awarded Honourary Doctorate at UWA

Wayne Webb Awarded Honourary Doctorate at UWA

Wadandi Pibulmun Yunungjarlu Elder Wayne Webb has been awarded an Honourary Doctor of Letters at a recent graduation ceremony at the University of Western Australia (UWA) where he also delivered the graduation address. Dr Webb has been active in the areas of archaeology and anthropology for more than 35 years, working with others to officially protect hundreds of cultural sites of significance. The award recognises his lifetime contributions to the protection and promotion of

Carol Innes on The Drum Program

Carol Innes on The Drum Program

Danjoo Koorliny co-leader Carol Innes appeared as a panelist on a recent episode of the ABC's The Drum program. She was asked to speak on a wide range of themes, including recent allegations of sexual assault against federal political figures and the reporting and support processes related to such cases. "It has to lead to systemic change where people report, how they report, what's the report structure around the reporting of it all, and how the family and others are support

Danjoo Koorliny Joins Editorial Board for New Journal

Danjoo Koorliny Joins Editorial Board for New Journal

The leaders of Danjoo Koorliny Dr Noel Nannup OAM, Dr Richard Walley OAM, Professor Emeritus Colleen Hayward AM and Carol Innes have collectively joined the Editorial Board for the newly-launched Journal of Awareness Based Systems Change. The journal focuses on systems and social change work that incorporates the awareness or consciousness of those engaged in such change processes. The independent journal will bridge research and practice, link inner and outer as well as indi