We get the chance to sit with Rowena Welsh Jarrett, a proud Dharawal and Gumbaynggirr Woman and member of the Redfern and La Perouse communities. Rowena is a lifelong advocate for Aboriginal cultural heritage and Director at Wadjiid (RWJ PTY LTD). Born and raised on Gadigal land, Rowena has dedicated over 20 years to cultural heritage work, community leadership, and ensuring the continuation of cultural practices within urban Sydney and coastal communities.

Rowena shares powerful reflections on the resilience of her family lines, the deep responsibility of being born and belonging to Country, and the importance of passing on cultural tools to future generations. She speaks on land rights, repatriation, and the realities of working with both grief and strength while navigating the pressures and expectations of cultural heritage practice.

Rowena discusses the complexities of cultural continuity, the power of language revival, honouring matriarchal legacy, responding to curated histories, and explores her role in nurturing cultural tools to pass on to future generations. She challenges stereotypes of “frozen” or prehistoric culture and champions greater self-determination and respect for people of the land in both heritage work and policy.

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In this episode, we sit down with Shantelle Thompson, Barkindji and Ngiyampaa Woman, three-time world champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, mother of five, educator, entrepreneur, and founder of the Kiilalaana Foundation and Warrior Heart movement. Shantelle shares her journey of becoming, reflecting on self-leadership, responsibility, and listening to her ancestors, whose voices continue to guide her as she walks a path grounded in strength, sovereignty and purpose.

Shantelle openly reflects on her experience with burnout, survival, healing intergenerational trauma, and the ongoing work of holding herself accountable both as a mother and a leader. She discusses the importance of finding your people, nervous system regulation, being well as a responsibility, and her vision for her community and the next generation. We also dive into her sporting journey, the significance of Jiu Jitsu, and her advocacy for Women's empowerment in sport and culture.

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In this episode of the Impact Policy Podcast, we sit down with Associate Professor BJ Newton for a grounded conversation on child removal, restoration, and the systemic realities facing Aboriginal families navigating the child protection system. Drawing on the Bring Them Home, Keep Them Home research, BJ reflects on the role of research as advocacy, the importance of community-embedded approaches, and why restoration must be centred in conversations about reform.

The discussion explores the structural drivers that continue to see Aboriginal children over represented in out-of-home care, the barriers families face in reunification processes, and the need to shift from surveillance and intervention toward family-led, culturally responsive support. BJ also speaks to initiatives including Know Your Rights and ARC (Aboriginal Authority for Restoring Children), and the importance of returning decision-making and authority back to Aboriginal communities.

Alongside systems analysis and policy discussion, the episode also reflects on the role practitioners can play in creating safe, relational spaces for families through informed judgement, empathy and culturally responsive practice.

If you work across child protection, Aboriginal affairs, policy, research, or community services, this episode offers an honest and important conversation on restoration, accountability, and what meaningful systems change can look like in practice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.