We are excited to announce our Keynote speakers
Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration
IEH is honoured to announce that the family of the late Jilpia Nappaljari Jones AM have provided their blessing for an annual invited, keynote presentation in memory of Jilpia by a female Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander leader in eye health.
The Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration acknowledges the significant contribution Jilpia made to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and her inspiration for a whole generation of amazing leaders in eye health who are female.
The inaugural Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration will be presented at the 2022 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference by Jaki Adams.
Jaki Adams - Inaugural Jilpia Nappaljari Jones Memorial Oration
Jaki was born and raised in Garramilla (Darwin), on Larrakia Country, and is of both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, with ancestral links to the Yadhaigana and Wuthathi people of Cape York Peninsula, traditional family ties with the Gurindji people, and extended family relationships with the people of the Torres Straits and Warlpiri (Yuendumu).
Jaki has over 25 years’ experience in the government and international development sectors.
Thomas Mayor
Thomas is a lead campaigner for the Uluru Statement from the Heart proposal for a constitutionally enshrined First Nations Voice and the author of Dear Son – Letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons.
Thomas is a Kaurareg Aboriginal and Kalkalgal, Erubamle Torres Strait Islander man.
He was a wharf labourer for sixteen years and is an official of the Maritime Union of Australia, working as the National Indigenous Officer of the union. He is the author of four books as well as essays and articles published in the Griffith Review, the Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian. His present works cover both historical and contemporary First Nations struggles including his extensive work campaigning for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, biographical narratives, fatherhood, masculinity, love and race.
Thomas continues to passionately advocate for workers rights and for a constitutionally enshrined Voice – the key proposal in the Uluru Statement. He is the Chairperson of the Northern Territory Indigenous Labor Network, advises the Diversity Council of Australia and the From the Heart campaign, and is an executive member of the Northern Territory Trades and Labour Council. His writing journey continues also, with several other books in development with release dates planned for 2023 and 2024.
Nicole Turner
Nicole Turner is a Kamilaroi woman who currently lives in the Hunter area of NSW. She is one of very few qualified Aboriginal community nutritionists in Australia, chairperson of Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA), and an adjunct Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at University of Canberra. Nicole is the Aboriginal Workforce Engagement Manager at Rural Doctors Network NSW and has worked in the health sector for over 25 years.
Nicole has published numerous papers in international journals and presented at several conferences around Australia and overseas on a variety of topics, especially Indigenous health.
Nicole’s passion is nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. She believes we need to give knowledge to our people about the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preventing chronic diseases. She is involved with many national, state and local committees and many organisations around the country.
Summer May Finlay
Dr Summer May Finlay (CSCA, TAE, BSocSC MPHA, and PhD) is a Yorta Yorta woman who grew up on Awabakal country (West Lake Macquarie) and is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
Her passion is what has driven her to work in a number of public health fields including social marketing, communications research and policy.
Summer has worked for a range of organisations in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health, not-for profit, university and for profit sectors. She is currently employed at the University of Wollongong as a Postdoctoral Fellow on a National Health and Medical Research Council funded project and as a lecturer.
In addition to working as an academic, she also works as a freelancer for organisations such as Croakey Health Media and the Commonwealth Department of Health. She is Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW Ethics Committee, Co-Vice Chair of the World Federation of Public Health Associations Indigenous Working Group and Deputy Chair of Thirrili, Australia’s only Indigenous suicide postvention organisation. Summer was previously Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Vice President for the Public Health Association of Australia and was the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Special Interest Group Co-Convener.
She has received three awards from the Public Health Association of Australian for her work in public health and Indigenous health (Presidents Award 2017, Fellowship 2020 and Presidents Award 2021). You can follow her on twitter via her handle @SummerMayFinlay.
This announcement completes the keynote speaker line up for the conference and we are proud and delighted that Summer May Finlay, Thomas Mayor, Nicole Turner and Jaki Adams will be joining us and sharing their knowledge and wisdom. More program details for the conference are available on the Indigenous Eye Health website.