Truth Telling in Agriculture

Truth Telling in Agriculture – Agriculture through the looking-glass of the Statement from The Heart; Sovereign First Nations engagement with western agriculture 1768 – 1970s through Lore/Law Case Studies and case studies focused on NSW Aboriginal reserves during the Aboriginal Protection era (1800s – 1970s).

About this project

First Nations Deaths in Custody continue at a disproportionate rate, with Indigenous Australians comprising only ~3.8% of the national population yet, in some jurisdictions, up to 100% of youth detainees. Since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991, 568 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have died in custody (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2025). Considering this crisis, it is crucial to provide positive pathways for Indigenous youth. This research proposes that renewed awareness of historic First Nations agricultural engagement can offer such pathways. By re-examining and collating records from 1768 through to the 1970s, the project will uncover “truth-telling” narratives of Indigenous Australians’ involvement in agriculture during colonization and the Aboriginal Protection era. The study will apply a decolonizing lens to key historical documents and media (e.g. the Statement from The Heart (2017), the documentary Lousy Little Sixpence (1983), and texts like Dark Emu (Pascoe, 2014)) alongside critical Indigenous scholarship, to frame a First Nations perspective on land, law, soil, sovereignty and agriculture. 

Expected Outcomes

Truth Telling in Agriculture Research Project will amplify First Nations voices and experiences that have been absent from mainstream histories. The anticipated outcome is a set of empowering case studies of Indigenous agriculture that, with proper observance of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights (Janke, 2021), will increase public and community awareness of decolonized historical truths in the agricultural domain. These success stories, once revealed, can be celebrated with pride and potentially inspire First Nations students to pursue agricultural education/careers.