Advisory Board

National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice Advisory Board

Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA

Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA has spent four decades working across community, government, and non-government arenas. Currently, she serves on the Federal government’s Referendum Working and Engagement Groups. Previous roles include Co-Chair, Treaty Advancement Committee Qld, Co-Chair, National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Deputy Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland, Co-Chair, Reconciliation Australia, Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, Commission for the Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Children from Their Families, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Cape York Girls Academy.

Emma Garlett

Emma Garlett is a First Nations leader who holds and has held roles in the private sector, minerals industry, legal services, and academia. Previously, Emma practised as a solicitor at a top-tier law firm in Perth. Emma is an Industry Fellow at UQ and has an appointment at Curtin Law School. Emma is a regular First Nations legal and business social commentator and writes weekly columns in print and online for The West Australian and is the host of Paint it Blak on YouTube.

Commissioner Sue-Ann Hunter

Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter is a proud Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman, Deputy Chair and Commissioner with the Yoorrook Justice Commission, and holds a Master of Social Work. Ms Hunter had oversight of the cultural clinical healing services at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency. She Co-Chaired the Family Matters campaign. With extensive experience in governance and leadership of Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, she is committed to self-determination and rights-based approaches to service delivery, and has contributed to numerous government inquiries, parliamentary and ministerial advisory committees.

Professor Barry Judd

Professor Barry Judd is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) and Director of the Indigenous Studies Program in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne. In his role as PVC, Professor Judd has responsibility for institutional policy, strategy, and advice in relation to all aspects of Indigenous higher education. As Director of Indigenous Studies, he provides academic leadership to the Program through undergraduate teaching, Higher Degree Research supervisions and research activity in support of this growing field of studies.

Peter Morris

Peter Morris has dedicated his career to building a more inclusive society that values and benefits from the resilience and ingenuity of First Peoples. Prior to his time leading the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) program at Reconciliation Australia, he served for eight years in various leadership roles at the National Congress of American Indians, the representative body of tribes and Native peoples in the United States. Peter holds a Bachelors in Aboriginal Studies from the University of New South Wales and a Masters in American Indian Policy from the University of Arizona.

Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney AM

Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney AM is a descendant of the unceded sovereign Nations of Narungga, Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri peoples of South Australia. Dr Rigney is esteemed Professor of Education and Co-Chair of the Pedagogies for Justice Research group in the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion at the University of South Australia. He is Distinguished Fellow at Deakin University and previous Distinguished Fellow at Kings College, London. In 2021 Professor Rigney was appointed member in the General Division (AM) for significant service to Indigenous Education and to social inclusion research.