Lowitja Conference: Strong Fearless Together

Lowitja’s 4th International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference 2025 was a dynamic week of insightful keynotes, incisive panels and brilliant conference presentations.

The Poche team presented a paper examining the experiences of Indigenous PhD scholars in Australia, Canada and New Zealand by exploring how they are advancing community-informed and Indigenous-led research in higher education.

The paper authored by Professor Shawana Andrews, Ms Tahlia Eastman, Dr Odette Mazel and Dr Emily Munro-Harrison revealed a shared experience across Indigenous PhD cohorts at the three fieldwork sites. While participants faced racism and discrimination within their institutions, they actively sought strategies to cultivate a sense of belonging and remained committed to integrating Indigenous methodologies into their work. They also pursued essential intellectual and cultural support to ensure that they carried out their projects in culturally appropriate ways in each context.

Dr Odette Mazel, Professor Shawana Andrews and Tahlia Eastman delivering research paper

Team highlights

It was amazing to hear about so many incredible initiatives happening in community organisations across the country. The keynote speakers were inspiring, and together, addressed the themes of the conference in their own context ‘Strong, Fearless, Together.’ I also loved the opportunity to connect with people from all over Australia but also further afield.

Justin Mohamed delivering keynote presentation

We were thrilled that the pre-conference PhD workshop, Maximise your Conference Experience, was a resounding success, with 100% turnout. The enthusiasm, engagement, and commitment of the PhD scholars set a powerful tone, energising all involved and laying a strong foundation for the massive conference ahead. See more highlights from the workshop.

Workshop in progress

It was great to have a stall in the Exhibitor booth, as a place to gather and meet. Great to chat with prospective students about undertaking a PhD, and emerging leaders about the Poche Indigenous Health Leadership program. The poster presentations demonstrated an impressive breadth of research.

Poche team Hannah, Odette, Shawana, Tahlia and Warwick in front of the Poche stall

Again, the Lowitja conference delivered an amazing experience. It’s hard to pick a highlight when the breadth of Indigenous excellence is so wide, the networking and engagement is plentiful, and the social events always showcase leading Indigenous artistic talent. One thing I did like was the unexpected sessions that you come across when in a breakout room, hearing from speakers which I might not have gone to otherwise and being impressed by their research leadership and grounding in community-control.

Just some of the presentations and posters

Overall, the conference was a fantastic opportunity and platform for the deadly Indigenous researchers, scholars, and leaders to share their work and celebrate Indigenous excellence in health and wellbeing. We're already looking forward to the next one!