Dr Nicole Tujague and Kelleigh Ryan: Staying Blak when publishing in a White World

Seminar Overview

Publishing is an important part of what we do as Indigenous professionals and academics. Now with the rapid uptake of AI, having our voices in the metadata is more important than ever. 

Researching, writing and publishing in a predominantly white world of publishing can present many challenges. Dr Nicole Tujague and Kelleigh Ryan will present their thoughts and challenges (and mistakes) to guide others in their publishing journey.

Speakers

Dr Nicole Tujague is a descendant of the Kabi Kabi nation from Mt Bauple, Queensland and the South Sea Islander people from Gaoa Island, Vanuatu. She grew up on the Queensland Aboriginal communities of Bamaga, Kowanyama, Woorabinda and Yarrabah and has worked with families from over 91 Indigenous communities across Australia.

She lectures in the areas of Indigenous Social and Emotional Wellbeing, Indigenous Health and Culturally Safe, Trauma-Informed Practice, to undergraduate and post-graduate students at Southern Cross University.

Nicole has participated in multiple research and evaluation projects throughout Australia and is particularly interested in co-design, co-creation and culturally safe and Indigenous-led evaluation.  She has facilitated training for community, government, corporate and private sectors in Trauma Informed Practice and Care and Healing.

Nicole’s area of research for her PhD thesis was Indigenous Evaluation, that is, understanding what Aboriginal Peoples feel is important when evaluating projects, programs and policies that affect their lives.  She yarned with survivors, descendants and staff from The Kinchela Boys Aboriginal Corporation.  This research utilised Indigenous Methodologies and Indigenous Data Analysis Methodologies.

Kelleigh Ryan is a descendant of the Kabi Kabi people of South-East Queensland and the Australian South Sea Islanders on her mother’s side. Kelleigh is a AHPRA registered psychologist with a private practice in Brisbane, working with Indigenous and non-Indigenous clients healing from Trauma in Australia and overseas. Her passion lies in providing psychological consultancy through her company The Seedling Group, delivering Culturally Safe Trauma Informed Training and consultancy responses for healing work with organisations, communities and individuals across Australia.

Kelleigh specialises in co-creating new ways of knowing, being and doing in trauma recovery practices with individuals and communities. In 2015, Kelleigh was appointed a position on the Aboriginal Clinical Governance Advisory Committee Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council (AH&MRC) 2015 of New South Wales. She is proud to be the first Aboriginal Psychologist appointed as a Clinical Assessor on the Psychologist Panel of Assessors for the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) in (2015-2020).  In 2016 Kelleigh has had the privilege of being co-convenor of the APS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Psychology Interest Group.

In 2019 Kelleigh was honoured with the Indigenous Allied Health Australia’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” and in 2021 Kelleigh was awarded the membership of Fellow to the Australian Psychological Society (APS) for her work in strengthen the field of psychology and the APS through her expertise and contributions to research, practice and policy.

In 2023 Kelleigh received recognition for her work through nomination to the position of Industry Fellow in the Faculty of CI, Education & Social Justice, Centre for Justice, at the Queensland University of Technology QUT.

Kelleigh currently holds the seat of Co-Vice Chair on the Australian Indigenous Psychologist Association Board (AIPA).