The socio-economic status of Aboriginals is shifting

In 2015 I was invited to join a university research hub steering committee. The national research consortium involving a number of universities was established to improve environmental outcomes in cities. A key objective was to increase Indigenous engagement and representation in urban research. For me, an urban planner of Ballardong Noongar descent, their interest in Indigenous knowledge was exciting. But from the first meeting my enthusiasm was shaken. I wasn’t sure what to say and the engagement felt superficial. I couldn’t offer neat answers to their questions about connecting to country in urban environments. Cities were tools of colonisation and finding the dreamtime hidden among skyscrapers, heavy traffic and boutique retail wasn’t straightforward.

An Indigenous engagement plan was written, filled with broad statements and little action. Increasing employment was referenced but there was no budget or timeline indicating when or how. The project pushed on clumsily. I was told there must be Aboriginal speakers at the official launch, and having just accepted a reference letter from one of the academics I felt I owed them something.