Working safely and respectively in Indigenous community

In addition to being a careers practitioner, I have been working with Aboriginal students since 2012, when I became the Aboriginal Student Support, then the Aboriginal Student Co-ordinator at the school I currently work at.  From having one Aboriginal student in the beginning, then growing the program to 24 Aboriginal students (some also having Torres Strait Islander heritage), my experiences working in this space have changed me forever.  It is an incredible honour working with the oldest living continuing culture on the planet, and being trusted by families. I am committed to cultural safety at all times and continually consult with parents and elders to ensure I am always learning and improving.  Within my work, I was the RAP co-ordinator of the school, which was shortlisted for the national Narragunnawali Award in 2021. 

Originally from Canada, I married an Australian man with Kamilaroi heritage and have two children who share my European background and their father's Aboriginal heritage.  I have travelled around Australia learning about being on country.  This has included travel through the Centre, up to the Tiwi Islands, from WA to the Torres Strait Islands.  I have been out on Ngarrindjeri Country with Uncle Moogy Major Sumner learning about bush tucker and culture.  In 2023 I travelled to Kamilaroi Country to put pieces of the family's heritage puzzle together.  I met some of the family's kind and welcoming aunties.  I met with elders.  I visited Myall Creek and Gravesend massacre sites.  My love and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures just keeps getting stronger and stronger. 

The wonderful elders I work with in Adelaide include Uncle Moogy, Uncle John Lochowiak, Uncle Mickey O'Brien and Uncle Ivan-Tiwu Copley.  All would be happy to provide a verbal reference for me.  I've worked with Aunty Shirley Peisley and also Aunty Alitya Alice Rigney (vale) as well as other powerful, kind, proud and strong Aboriginal women.  

In 2013, with the blessing and support of elders, parents and distinguished Professor Lester Irabinna Rigney, I accompanied 4 Aboriginal students to Washington to visit The White House as part of a pilot Nation to Nation Cultural Exchange initiative.  The students did a presentation for the Embassy of Tribal Nations in Washington, and were taken out for lunch by former leader of the Opposition - then Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley. They met with American Indian youth, and key US figures including Congressman Tom Cole, an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation. The learning was incredible.

In 2017 I commenced an exciting initiative called the Yaitya Tita Aboriginal Youth Program.  What started with a handful of students from a few schools has grown to over 100 students from 15 schools.  In addition to having heaps of fun connecting, and eating lots of pizza, and building friendships (Independent/Catholic and Public high school students), we brought in great guest speakers who taught about cultural identity including Jack Buckskin and consulting Elders.  Highlights have included having the former Governor Hieu van Le of Australia attend, as well as former Premier Steven Marshall and at the end of 2022, the current Attorney General for SA, Kyam Maher also shared and inspired the big audience of students and principals. 

I value the  cultural learning I have received from wise Aboriginal leaders including Uncle Lewis O'Brien, Flic (Felicity) Ryan, Rosemary Wanganeen, Frank Wanganeen, Tjimari Sanderson-Milera, and the above mentioned elders who I treasure.

In 2023 I assisted Uncle Moogy with putting an abstract together for the "Healing our Spirit" Conference in Vancouver BC.  I also submitted grant funding requests to take him and the Tal-Kin-Jeri dancers to the conference, and to other parts of Canada.  We were delighted to receive a conference invitation and enough funding for Uncle Moogy to take his dancers with him. 

Past reference from a former school principal who worked with me:

"Monica Magann’s work in support of Indigenous students is incomparable. Her empathy, cultural sensitivity and genuine regard for people and ability to develop quality relationships set her apart from most others working in this complex arena. She understands the need to support individual students as well as the broader cause. Her engagement and networking abilities are quite extraordinary. I’ve been privileged to see the impact of her commitment to Indigenous people across two schools and the broader education sector."

The Aboriginal artwork image I have included is painted by Bidjara Gunggari artist Stanley Geebung (vale).  He interviewed me and then painted my story of me leaving my parents in Canada and coming to Australia and having two daughters.  It is the most prized item I own.