It was wonderful to welcome almost all the ANAT leadership team to SERF on 28th June, during ISEA 2024 – MELISSA DELANEY Chief Executive Officer, JENN BRAZIER Program Manager, CAROLLYN KAVANAGH Marketing and Communications Manager and AUSHAF WIDISTO Arts Administrator.
We were also very happy to have ISEA keynote presenter and artist and Palawa woman and ANU Professor Prof. ANGIE ABDILLA (also director of Old Ways New – whose mission is “Creating Systemic Change, Indigenous Agency and Autonomy“).
My science collaborators David Tucker, Marcus Yates and I were able to show them the project site and take them on the site Science Walk.
Here is how Angie is introduced in the ISEA catalogue .. “Professor Angie Abdilla, Palawa is the founder and director of Old Ways, New. Angie created the company’s strategic design methodology, Country Centered Design, leading projects for the public and private sectors over the past decade. She is an Advisor to the federal government for Services Australia, the Attorney General’s Copyright and AI Reference Group, CSIRO’s Data61, and the National AI Centre Think Tank, and previously was a member of the Global Futures Council on Artificial Intelligence for Humanity as part of the World Economic Forum. In her professorial role at the Australian National University’s School of Cybernetics, she works with Indigenous knowledges, systems, and technology as a cultural practice. Her published research explores Indigenous deep-time technologies and Artificial Intelligence, informed by the Indigenous Protocols and AI working group (IP//AI), which she co-founded“.
(courtesy ISEA 2024 Program)
Furthermore Angie’s company – Old Ways, New on their website states : “Country Centered design is our methodology, which utilises Indigenous knowledge in the design of places, experiences, and critical technologies. Our process incorporates systems and design thinking, combined with futuring techniques to deliver culturally, socially, and environmentally sustainable outcomes“.
Earlier in the ISEA 2024 artistic program I had very much enjoyed experiencing her work ‘Meditation on Country‘ at the State Library of Qld – a work that beautifully “brought together Indigenous knowledges and Western astrophysics through charting Creation time and evolutionary events.” For me especially hearing the voices of Uncle Ghillar Michael Anderson and Aunty Bronwyn Penrith in the artwork’s soundtrack, and then yarning to them afterwards, was a truly memorable experience! Thanks so much Angie and team for bringing your moving stories to us in such a powerful way!
After coffee and an introduction from Marcus Yates – we all walked the new SERF Engaging Science Trail together – through the mature forest towards the clearing on the other side where the site is located.
We then lingered at the Forest Art Intelligence plot (which is a stop on the trail), and circumnavigated much of the 2Ha space- to discuss where we had come to and possible next steps.
Angie’s advice during. that time to me was to try to accelerate the consultation process with local elders – to bring them actively into the process early if possible. The situation at SERF in terms of clear Traditional Owner recognition is still under discussion – so we discussed possible strategies in a situation of uncertainty. One we alighted was to take a walk going forward with Prof. Wesley Enoch – who works at QUT – and who was also an ISEA 2024 convenor – and that is something I have initiated subsequently.
Another amazing thing happened on that walk! As we stopped on the way back at what we call the mother tree – Soon after absorbing the presence of this hundreds of years old blue gum, ANAT CEO Melissa Delaney’s hearing returned – she had been close to functionally deaf for quite sometime due to an unknown ailment.
Coincidences can be acknowledged or ignored – we all chose the former – ending the day on a particularly joyful note 🙂
