UQ alums and former and current staff members feature among members of the new Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and First Nations Treaty Institute, announced recently by the Queensland Government.
Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry members include a prominent UQ Law graduate, the Honourable Roslyn Atkinson AO, and Arts/Education alum Cheryl Buchanan (a proud Guwamu woman and lifetime campaigner for Aboriginal rights, social and environmental justice).
The First Nations Treaty Institute Council consists of 10 members, all of whom are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Council includes UQ Emeritus Professor Cindy Shannon, a former UQ Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement), from 2011-2017, who is now Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Diversity and Inclusion) at Griffith University. It also includes UQ Social Work graduate Ivy Trevallion, and Dr Valerie Cooms, an Adjunct Associate Professor with the UQ School of Political Science and International Studies.
Treaty and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister Leeanne Enoch said the announcement of members of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and First Nations Treaty Institute Council confirms the Queensland Government’s commitment to reframing the relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“We know that there is an unacceptable gap in life outcomes between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous people in this country," Minister Enoch said.
“The Path to Treaty will advance the Queensland Government’s commitment to Closing the Gap.
“The Inquiry and Institute Council members will play a pivotal role in building community understanding of Queensland’s shared history and support the healing process for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, non-Indigenous peoples and communities.”
UQ Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) Professor Bronwyn Fredericks said that she and her UQ colleagues were looking forward to engaging with the processes and work of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry and First Nations Treaty Institute, as they developed further.