Darcy Wallis

Title: Queer Mob in the Archives: Factors for Aboriginal LGBTIQ+ Wellbeing

Summary: My project involves searching the archives for evidence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQ+ people in the 20th century to determine factors that aid wellbeing.

By focusing on more recent history, I hope to be able to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTIQ+ people based on their own articulation of their experiences.

We know that being queer has always been a part of our cultures and that we are the best authorities on our own experiences. Indigenous knowledges encompass how we conceptualise our queer identities and navigate community relationships. For example, how transgender and non-binary Indigenous people engage with the gendered aspects of Indigenous cultures, such as men’s and women’s business, is part of our culture.

I hope to try and uncover evidence in the archives that supports and expands on these kinds of knowledges. Bolstering a historical narrative that shows that we have always been part of Indigenous communities, that queerness is not something colonisation brought over, is a very important part of reclaiming our identities.