Dr Suzi Hutchings Bio:
I am a member of the Central Arrernte Nation. Professionally I am a Social Anthropologist. I am dedicated to working with First Nations peoples and communities. I am a senior lecturer at RMIT University teaching Indigenous Studies and Indigenous policy. Since 1983, I have consulted on the impacts of criminal justice and welfare intervention on First Nations youth and families. My most recent engagement being with the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (SA) providing expert cultural evidence in a child protection matter for a Pitjantjatjara family. I have also worked extensively as a senior anthropologist on native title claims across Australia. This includes as the senior anthropologist on the successful Esperance Nyungar native title claim (WA). I also write about, and collaborate on innovative projects with First Nations young people and esteemed Elders that are designed to maintain and express Indigenous identities, resilience, resistance, sovereignty and indigeneity through music and performance. This includes a highly successful 2019 co-production on Indigenous Hip-Hop with Melbourne based Indigenous musicians and Boonwurrung Elders, and the Australian Music Vault, Arts Centre Melbourne (https://www.australianmusicvault.com.au/music%20stories/watch/tell%20it%20like%20it%20is%20first%20nations%20hip%20hop%20forum/). I produce and present the music show Crossing Tracks and other music content for Community Radio, including PBS. I am co-editor with R. Aída Hernández Castillo and Brian Noble,of the 2019 book: Transcontinental Dialogues: Activist Alliances with Indigenous Peoples of Canada, Mexico, and Australia, University of Arizona Press (https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/transcontinental-dialogues).