The Indigenous Voice to Parliament marked a pivotal moment in Australia's political landscape. The referendum aimed to provide a formal mechanism for Indigenous Australians to be heard in the nation's decision-making processes. Amidst the national discourse on Indigenous representation, the role of youth in online activism spaces (e.g. TikTok, Instagram) emerged as a dynamic and influential force, reshaping conversations and contributing to broadening societal dialogue. The presentation capitalizes on a digital decolonizing methodology to investigate the efforts of young Indigenous Australians to have their voices heard.

Speaker: 

Associate Professor Garth Stahl is nationally recognised as a leading researcher in the field of youth studies. He was awarded a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the Australian Research Council (2017-2019) where he researched the relationship between extreme disadvantage, masculinities, and widening participation. In 2019, he was ranked by The Australian newspaper as one of the top 40 researchers in Australia who were less than 10 years into their career. His research has been published in a range of international journals, including the Pedagogy, Culture and Society, the Journal of Educational Policy and Gender and Education.