PROFESSOR CHELSEA WATGEO

MENTOR | Writing

Professor Chelsea Watego is committed to the empowerment of Indigenous peoples through health and education. With more than two decades of experience as a health worker, researcher and as the Executive Director of Queensland University of Technology’s Carumba Institute, she has spearheaded groundbreaking research that sheds light on the intricate interplay of race and health inequalities. She is a prolific writer, public intellectual, community leader and, above all, a proud mother of five beautiful children.

Born of Munanjahli and South Sea Islander heritage, Professor Watego's journey into academia was not conventional. “To be honest, I don’t consider myself an artist – more a nerd who always had a love for reading and writing,” she says. Her passion for learning and exploration led her down the path of scholarship, where she discovered the transformative power of words and ideas.

Throughout her career, Professor Watego has amassed a series of remarkable achievements. However, what she holds dearest is the impact of her writing on the Indigenous community. She reflects, “I think what I am most proud of is the impact of some of my writing in terms of the permission or validation it has given other Blackfullas to think, to feel, and act in a particular way in any given moment.” Her words serve to challenge the narratives imposed by settler colonialism and reclaim the inherent humanity of Indigenous peoples.

For Professor Watego, writing is more than a craft; it is a form of resistance and healing. “Writing for me is therapeutic and is my way of making sense of the world,” she explains. “It restores to me a sense of agency that I feel, which through writing, I’m forced to find words to express it.” In the face of oppression and adversity, her pen becomes a weapon of defiance, channelling the collective rage and resilience of her community as a strategy for effective change.

Professor Watego's recent creative output includes her debut book, Another Day in the Colony, published by UQ Press in November 2021. Met with critical acclaim, this groundbreaking work is a collection of deeply insightful and powerful essays that expose the ongoing colonial violence experienced by First Nations people. With a Discovery Grant through the Australian Research Council (ARC), she seeks to pave the way for Indigenist Health Humanities as a new field of research. This innovative approach is rooted in the survival and empowerment of Indigenous peoples, foregrounding Indigenous intellectual sovereignty and leading to the formation of an Indigenous critical race theory.

Professor Watego offers invaluable advice to aspiring writers. "Tell the stories that haven’t been told," she urges. "Refuse the lies they tell you about what good writing is. Know who you are writing for and be loyal to them."

Her words encapsulate the essence of her ethos: authenticity, courage, and a steadfast commitment to truth-telling. As she aptly reminds us, “Be honest about why you are writing and make sure it is for the right reasons. Be Black as fk.”

WRITTEN BY JACK BAILEY