Since 2023, Kummargii Yulendji Symposium has grown as an annual forum for the critical movement that is transforming Australia’s knowledge ecosystem. Co-convened by Informit and CAVAL as part of Social Sciences Week, the symposium offers an important gathering for the communities that are working to re-frame and reckon with colonial systems and embed First Peoples’ Knowledges within our institutions. This year’s program delivered engaging presentations by First Nations leaders and allies who are Indigenising the research, GLAM and publishing sectors.

Kummargii Yulendji Symposium 2026 was opened by Wurundjeri custodian Stacie Piper’s generous Welcome to Country, teaching us to introduce ourselves in Woi wurrung, as well as the phrase: ‘Moondani murrup galada Birrarung’ (embracing the spirit of the Yarra River). Stacie shared Biik ngarrga, the six layers of Country integral to the Wurundjeri worldview, reminding us of the eels that continue to swim in subterranean waterways beneath Narrm and the cool forest Country that comprises much of Wurundjeri Country. Stacie referred briefly to the significant Barak (Beruk) and Treaty exhibitions she has curated at State Library of Victoria, called for us to please vote for the Treaty-positive parties in the upcoming Victoria election, and responded adroitly to a certain politician’s recent use of the word ‘primitive’ to describe Aboriginal people.

We were then launched into two outstanding keynote presentations from leading First Nations experts in distinct fields. Dr Bianca Beetson AM (Kabi Kabi, Wiradjuri) shared her generous and holistic vision for decolonising museums and archives in the challenging period following the Voice referendum, towards museums becoming places of return, repair, healing and living knowledge. Drawing upon her work as Executive Director, First Nations at Queensland Museum, Dr Beetson advocated to move beyond abstract ideas of ‘acknowledgement’ towards practical First Nations-led systems change and accountable practice, giving visibility to shared stories and centring community voices.

Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher (Wiradjuri) presented the second keynote: ‘Healthy Country: re-writing the Book on Australia’, challenging the colonial notion of Australian landscapes prior to invasion as ‘wilderness’. As a paleoecologist and Associate Dean of Science (Indigenous) at University of Melbourne, Professor Fletcher reads the ‘archives’ of Country, such as sediment, pollen and charcoal, which reveal that Indigenous cultural burning made and maintained these landscapes for over 60,000 years, in particular maintaining vegetation far sparser than much Australian bush now. Professor Fletcher further infers that excluding Aboriginal people from caring for Country since the colonial era has contributed to the fire and biodiversity crises – exacerbated by climate change – that we are facing today.

Professor Kirsten Thorpe and Dr Narissa Timbery’s conversational presentation charted the Indigenous Archives Collective’s journey of ‘Asserting the Right of Reply: From Position Statement to Practice in Libraries and Archive’.  In Professor Thorpe’s words, the Collective’s work is ‘thinking about a new paradigm in the way that we conceptualise and contribute to knowledge management’. The Collective members explored some contexts and complexities of implementing the Right of Reply towards a participatory model of archival engagement.

We then heard from a rich range of voices from across research, library and publishing communities in a series of short presentations. Georgia Ensor gave a talk about family cultural programming at Hobsons Bay Council Library, reflecting upon a collaboration with Jaeden Williams Briggs connecting with local Country through place-based exploration and creative response to Boon wurrung seasons. Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung researcher Claire Kearns shared a case study of an Indigenous serviceman, his handwritten newspaper and his sister’s tragic search for justice for his death, as commentary on First Peoples’ engagement with military archives.

Journal manager Pat Hannah presented CSIRO Publishing’s current initiatives to reduce barriers and develop pathways to foster Indigenous scholarly publication towards enriching and diversifying the scientific knowledge ecosystem. He outlined the ways CSIRO has been addressing issues of acknowledgement (of authors, Country and community), conformity (moving beyond existing publishing systems) and representation of Indigenous knowledges, encouraged by the extremely high levels of readership and citation of publications focused on Indigenous research. RMIT librarians Sara Boyle and Steph Cusworth discussed their reparative description project and building the confidence of the team, questioning as non-Indigenous librarians undertaking this important work: ‘Are we qualified?’  Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi librarian Lauren Castino discussed the First Nations Student Partner program and development of a Truth-telling library guide at University of Western Sydney Library, supported by Informit’s Cultural Fund.  

It was fascinating to hear from authors and linguists Gari Tudor-Smith (Gangulu, Barada, Yiman and Gureng Gureng) and Felicity Meakins presenting on their successful book Bina: First Nations Languages Old and New published in 2024. The ambitious scope of Bina tells the story of the 440 original languages spoken in Australia in 1788, through the loss of many of these from colonialism, and the revitalisation of hundreds of these languages that is currently underway. Some examples of ‘Kintax’ – the grammar of family reveal the nuances of language and kinship cultural connections.  Bina was written ‘to educate whitefullas and inspire blakfullas’ by the work that Indigenous people are doing to keep language alive and renew languages, so get your hands on a copy!   

To conclude a brilliant day, we were treated to an engaging finale by international keynote Peter-Lucas Jones (Te Aupōuri, Ngai Takoto, Ngāti Kahu) whose presentation began with a rousing song in Māori, then outlined the value of Indigenous languages’  intrinsic connection with philosophical worldview, cultural memory and relationships with place. Jones shared how Te Hiku Media, the tribal broadcaster of which he is CEO,  developed Indigenous-owned speech recognition technology for te reo Māori, in effect ‘teaching the computer to speak Māori’.  His presentation delved some of the issues of using AI in terms of maintaining cultural authority, environmental responsibility and data sovereignty, and its potentiality for preserving Indigenous languages into the future.

Attendees commented on the high quality, diverse topics and depth of content of all the presentations. Kummargii Yulendji, the title given to the symposium by Boon wurrung Elder and senior academic N’arwee’t Professor Carolyn Briggs, means ‘Knowledge is rising’ and the full day of inspiring presentations embodied that spirit.

Kummargii Yulendji Symposium 2026 was supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Informit and CAVAL would also like to thank RMIT Storey Hall staff and technical team, and Informit’s First Peoples’ Lens Steering Committee.