Our Voices | Our Solutions | Our Decisions | Our Time
Improve the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika people at the Indigenous Wellbeing Conference.
30th – 31st October, 2023 | Darwin Convention Centre, Larrakia Country, NT |
We welcome all our First Nation’s people and pay respects to them and their elders past, present and emerging.
As this conference is being held on local Larrakia land for 2023, we have honoured their language where we can, throughout this website and look forward to highlighting some of their culture throughout the program. We are grateful for their hospitality and look forward to welcoming you and your cultural background so we can collectively celebrate First Nation’s social and emotional wellbeing.
We would also like to take this opportunity to warn you that the following content may contain images and voices of deceased persons.
The conference gives space for and respect to the stories of our past and present. We aim to share our collective wisdom to move forward positively and improve health outcomes for all First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika people.
In 2018–19, based on self-reported survey responses, an estimated 24% of Indigenous Australians reported having a diagnosed mental health or behavioural condition and 3 in 10 (31%) Indigenous adults reported ‘high or very high’ levels of psychological distress.
Data from 2016–2020 show that the rate for suicide of Indigenous Australians is almost twice the rate of non-Indigenous Australians, with the differences being greater for people aged under 45. It was also the leading cause of death for Indigenous children aged 5–17.
in 2018, Indigenous Australians as a whole lost almost 240,000 years of healthy life due to ill-health and premature death – equivalent to 289 years for every 1,000 people.
Hospitalisation rates for medical conditions were consistently higher for Māori than for NMNP under-25-year olds from 2000 to 2019.
Statistics: ABS 2019, 2021a, aihw.gov.au
Now in its third year, the Indigenous Wellbeing Conference:
Let’s work together to improve the wellness, wellbeing and health of all Indigenous, First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika.
The Indigenous wellbeing conference theme, topics and final program is carefully curated by a committee with Indigenous cultural, community, services and business leaders. The conference supports ‘nothing about Indigenous Peoples, without Indigenous Peoples’ when reviewing presenter applications so you can rest assured the content at the conference is extremely relevant for the sector.
In 2023, our conference theme:
Our Voices | Our Solutions | Our Decisions | Our Time
will explore into the topics:
Pou Whirinaki – Cultural Advisor, Older Persons Health and Rehabilitation: Burwood Hospital, Specialist Mental Health Service: Hillmorton Hospital
I began my career in the field of men's and family support through my work with the Men’s Violence Project (MVP), later known as the Stopping Violence Service (SVS). My role involved adapting the Duluth Model of Change to be culturally inclusive for male Tangata whenua in Aotearoa, challenging their core beliefs and replacing violence with cultural values like aroha, manaaki, tūmanako, and tikanga to foster healthy relationships.
I also worked with the STOP Programme, addressing sexually offensive and abusive behaviour in families. Using cultural approaches, I helped identify and address these behaviours, promoting honesty within whānau to create a brighter, abuse-free future.
Prior to that, I spent time with the Youth Specialty Service (YSS), where I assessed and supported adolescents. After a year, I transitioned to the Canterbury Regional Forensic Psychiatric Service, where I worked for over a decade with mentally unwell adults serving time for criminal activities. My goal was to provide a clear pathway for their rehabilitation, focusing on trust in themselves and others.
In my final role with the Youth Forensic Team, I aimed to prevent adolescents from becoming adult forensic Tangata whaiora. I worked closely with their parents and the judicial system, emphasizing collective support and guidance for these young individuals to ensure a confident and competent future. My philosophical view is that if we can support them now to support themselves tomorrow, they will be confident and competent to guide themselves into their future.
Larrakia Traditional Owner and Elder, Senior General Practioner
Bio coming soon.
Senior Elder College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University (Facilitator)
Bio coming soon.
Cultural Consultant, from Katherine, NT
Bio coming soon.
2023 NAIDOC Male Elder Award
Bio coming soon.
Chief Executive Officer, SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
An Arrernte/Luritja woman from Central Australia, Catherine has a strong background in senior management positions with First Nations organisations. Catherine has also held senior roles within the Northern Territory Education Department, the ABC, and NITV/SBS.
A journalist by trade, Catherine’s motivation has always been to drive change that leads to positive outcomes and options for First Nations people. Over the past 10 years she has led multidisciplinary teams, overseen workplace transformations, and advocated for policy reform.
Life Coach & Mentor
Ariana has been in the wellness industry for 11 years in both Aotearoa and Australia. She is a mindset and soul activation coach dedicated to guiding our people on a transformative journey home. Having experienced pain, grief, and trauma, she understands the longing for an authentic life and the need for connection to mana, mauri, whakapapa and whenua. Many of us believe that our struggles will always define us, and often we have limited access to the necessary support to heal and be culturally understood.
Ariana felt and experienced this too, until she reached a turning point. Through Self-connection and the practical application of diverse tools she has gathered over the years, she activated her Mauri & Mana within her. Now, she is here to share this knowledge and be a voice that speaks to your soul and empowers you to do the same.
CEO, Manawise Group
Andrew is passionate about creating innovative solutions and strategies that benefit individuals and communities. While his background is in law, his strength lies in the breadth of his experiences. He has worked across various sectors globally, including government, non-profits, universities, business, and sports. His personal background and diverse living experiences in places like Hong Kong, Samoa, England, and the UAE have cultivated his deep interest in indigeneity, traditional knowledge, and culture.
Currently, Andrew is the Director of MANAWISE Group, an integrated community-advancement firm based in Queensland. MANAWISE Group comprises entities that provide residential care for the Department of Child Safety, a labour hire company, an advisory agency offering Pasifika cultural training and consulting, and a non-profit organization that runs mental health programs in schools.
Originally from New Zealand, Andrew is of Samoan descent and now resides in SEQ with his wife Nicola and their four children. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Education degree.
CEO & Founder of HIR Wellness Institute
Lea S. Denny is a wife, a mother of two, and a community member. She is of Hawaiian & Filipino descent, Hungarian-Jewish, and English ancestry, and her husband and children are Oneida and Ojibwe. She is a National Board Certified Counselor; community researcher on historical trauma healing; and currently serves on a CDC Indigenous research project on healing Adverse Childhood Experiences, the opioid epidemic, and healthy homes. Denny is intentionally shifting the paradigm around decolonizing mental health through what she calls Community Activated Medicine Framework™, Mental Health Without Borders Approach™, trauma informed policies, and her organizational care models. She has co-raised over 5 million in funding to serve Indigenous and underserved survivors of violence.
Denny is the President, CEO, and Clinical Director of the HIR Wellness Institute. Denny is dedicated to impacting workforce development through building a healing informed organization that focuses on training the next generation of helping providers. She serves on several local and national councils or committees, including: Committee Member of the Wisconsin State Task Force on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), serving on the Data Subcommittee; honorary faculty member for the University of California Davis; Member of the ‘Ohana Center of Excellence Steering Committee, and Committee Member of the Violence Against Women’s Act STOP Implementation Planning Workgroup. She is publishing her research on historical intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities and continuously provides consultation to tribal and community leaders on Indigenous decolonial mental health research projects and transgenerational trauma workgroups. Leaders and experts in the field of mental health have continued to quote and cite Denny’s work, including notably Stockbridge Munsee Band of Mohican Indians President in the 2022 Wisconsin State of the Tribes address, and the Nuerosequential Model of Therapeutics curriculum. Denny is an international speaker and has spoken at the 5th Annual Pathways to Resiliency conference in Cape Town South Africa; the 2nd and 3rd International Nuerosequential Model Symposium in Banff Canada, and speaks with many groups from the Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program. Denny is leading health justice on every level and redesigning what mental health service delivery means.
Learn more about Denny at her website LeaSDenny.com
National Netball Development Manager for the National Aboriginal Sports Corporation Australia
Bio coming soon.
The delegates for the Indigenous Wellbeing Conference are varied across community, government, mental and allied health as well as business. Typically, we see:
Yes! The Indigenous Wellbeing Conference is for you, if you’re looking for:
A space for safe, open and connected conversation around the health and wellbeing for all First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika. | |
Application based presentations to leave you with practical tools to create immediate and positive changes. | |
Networking with like-minded multi-sector professionals who are both Indigenous and non-indigenous to discover best practice solutions. | |
Inspiration from current research, top professionals and community leaders in Indigenous wellbeing. | |
A platform to share your own stories, research, programs and case studies with your community. | |
A space to collaborate with and support likeminded individuals to deliver better outcomes for all First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika. | |
Time away from your every-day to think bigger, creatively and strategically. |
Join us and be a part of a brighter tomorrow.
IWC will explore the theme: Our Voices | Our Solutions | Our Decisions | Our Time
If you are passionate about conceptualising and strategising culturally responsive solutions for Indigenous wellbeing in our communities and you have insights, ideas, research, results or future plans to share - please apply to present now.
This opportunity comes up once a year so please take this as your moment to apply to present now.
Partner with IWC23 and connect with 400+ First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika community leaders – present and emerging. Be a part of the ground-breaking Indigenous Wellbeing Conference in Australia and New Zealand.
Introduce 400+ delegates to the programs, services and initiatives which can help enhance the wellbeing of all First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika. Our team can assist in creating custom partnership packages designed for your specific goals, so reach out today.
2 DAY PROGRAM
Please fill in your details below to begin your registration.
2 DAY PROGRAM
Please fill in your details below to begin your registration.
2 DAY PROGRAM
A saving of $1,419
Please fill in your details below to begin your registration.
The 2023 Indigenous Wellbeing Conference will be held at the Darwin Convention Centre.
Networking Function
Date: Monday 30th October 2023
Time: 4:45pm - 5:45pm
Cost: Included in your delegate registration. $77 for guests.
Catering: Drinks and canapes will be provided.
Accommodation is at either Adina Hotel, Vibe Hotel or Oaks Darwin Elan Hotel and can be booked during registration. Room rates below.
Studio Apartment | $279 |
Studio Apartment with View | $309 |
One Bedroom Apartment | $339 |
One Bedroom Apartment with View | $369 |
Breakfast | $22 |
Guest Room only | $249 |
Guest Room with view | $279 |
Breakfast | $22 |
Guest Room only | $199 |
Miledma Batji-wa (Good day). Midling Darrandirra (together all of us) welcome you to the Indigenous Wellbeing Conference being held on local Larrakia land for 2023. Where we can, we have honoured their Mannma (language) throughout this website.
The Larrakia people are the traditional owners of the Darwin region. Larrakia country runs from Cox peninsula in the west to Gunn Point in the north, Adelaide River in the east and down to the Manton Dam area southwards.We want to remember the Larrakia Mannma (language).
Our goal is simple: to provide a platform for First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika people to come together, collaborate, teach, learn, create, and lead programs and services for greater social and emotional wellbeing.
Thank you for your support and involvement. United, there will be a stronger n-wirribo-g (vision for the future) for all First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika people.
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