Emma Garlett: Who are our emerging First Nations leaders in the decades to come?

Who are our emerging First Nations leaders, what will they achieve and how will they achieve it?

We have great respect for our elders, and place enormous importance on their words and deeds. And rightly so, as they paved the way for us.

But we must also think ahead, and ask ourselves who will carry the torch in the decades to come?

We have a looming leadership gap, and we need to address it now.

Two thirds of all First Nations Australians are under 35 years of age. Our median age is just 24.

Compare this with the general Australian population, for which the median age is 38. This discrepancy shows how important readying the next generation of First Nations leaders is, and the scale of the impact they will have.

Some are already coming through to lead the way, like Bard and Nimanburr man Joseph Bin Omar from Broome, who is helping make a difference through his work on the board of the Polly Farmer Foundation.

But we have plenty more to do to prepare more young leaders.

There is a conscious drive to improve the quality of life of young Indigenous people. Nine of the 17 Closing the Gap targets are targeted at improving outcomes for children and young people.

This is great. But these generations also need leaders who are prepared to guide their communities into a fast-paced and technical age.

Our young leaders need proper governance training and education in management to succeed their predecessors.

First Nations leaders have had to learn on the go and educate themselves in the absence of past educational equality. Their generation has seen the emergence of so many Aboriginal corporations, Native Title body corporates and Indigenous land use agreements, all of which take technical know-how to navigate.

We can do better for those to follow, bringing hopeful youths to shadow their mentors and have a voice of their own. As an elder or First Nations leader it is a responsibility and a privilege to pass on knowledge, be it cultural or otherwise.

I urge First Nations youth and their parents to consider the opportunities provided by tertiary education.

Only 10 per cent of Indigenous Australians over the age of 18 are studying, and only 58 per cent of Indigenous Australians 20 years and older have completed Year 12 or equivalent.

If you want proof that education matters, a 2021 report revealed that only 45 per cent of First Nations peoples with a year 10-12 education were employed, compared with 85 per cent of those which held a bachelor’s degree or higher.

We are entering an age of governance and succession planning in Indigenous communities, in which every dollar should be accounted for and every Indigenous land use agreement needs to be negotiated.

This also comes in the wake of scandals surrounding some Aboriginal corporations, with CEOs charged with stealing and fraud. We have to do better than that. It’s already hard enough work changing the narrative and setbacks like these can’t be tolerated.

How can we prepare?

Youth Advisory Councils are a great start, giving young leaders a chance to have a voice and even decision-making power on local and state matters. After all, it is they who will inherit this Country.

There are scholarships available for those willing to get them, and I urge all First Nations parents to seek these opportunities for their children. The more participation we have, the more scholarships we will receive.

There are many great institutions that work tirelessly to give our youth a better chance at success. Polly Farmer Foundation, MADALAH, Waalitj, Clontarf, Shooting Stars, and many others are here to help, and if you have young ones that you want to give a better chance, please get out there and get involved.

There are great future First Nations leaders waiting to be discovered, and the more opportunities we give to all our youth, the better our chances of finding them.