<p style="text-align:center"><em><span style="font-size:12px">Whakauae researchers Teresa Taylor and Gill Potaka-Osborne</span></em></p>

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<p>Whakauae acknowledges the traditional owners of the land across Australia and pays respect to the Elders past, present and emerging, in particular, the Larrakia people of Darwin the traditional custodians of the land upon which the Lowitja Conference 2019 was held.</p>

<p>Established in 2010, the Lowitja Institute is Australia&rsquo;s national institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research working for the health and wellbeing of Australia&rsquo;s First Peoples through high impact quality research, knowledge translation, and by supporting a new generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers.</p>

<p>Whakauae researchers, Gill Potaka-Osborne and Teresa Taylor, attended this year&rsquo;s Lowitja conference and participated in conference activities. One of these activities was the Opening Ceremony, where Teresa Taylor performed a karanga to Pat Anderson, Chairperson of the Lowitja Institute to whom she presented a painted rock with a Matariki message. This was followed by a resounding rendition of T&#363;tira Mai Ng&#257; Iwi with other Aotearoa New Zealand M&#257;ori we met at the opening. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lowitjainstitute/videos/688906594893333/" target="_blank">You can watch the video here</a>.</p>

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<p><img alt="" src="/uploads/images/lowita2.jpg" style="height:632px; width:650px" /></p>

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<h2>Conference themes</h2>

<p>The theme for this conference was Thinking, Speaking, Being: First Nations Solutions for Global Change. A key highlight of the conference was the call to use Indigenous knowledge and practices to make a sustainable future for Indigenous peoples. The conference attracted a diverse range of keynote speakers from around the world who provoked conference participants to examine ways of thinking, speaking and being. Keynote speakers included Bruce Pascoe who spoke on Aboriginal Australians as the first agriculturalists; Professor Tahu Kukutai on data sovereignty; Mr Bruce Blankenfeld on early navigation systems; Dr Ahbay Bang on health initiatives occurring with the Indigenous peoples of India and Dr Chelsea Bond on health and wellbeing sovereignty and the role of racism.</p>

<p>On the Wednesday night, at the Gala Dinner, the Lowitja Institute Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 and the Lowitja Institute Emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researcher Award 2019 were announced. This was followed by entertainment from Indigenous performers. This event gave us a chance to mix and mingle with other Indigenous researchers and health providers.</p>

<p>On the closing day of the conference, Gill Potaka-Osborne and Teresa Taylor presented a snapshot of He Whet&#363; Arataki Rangatahi Leadership Evaluation Study which was well received.</p>

<p>The whole conference experience was amazing!&nbsp;</p>
