Clare Land
Anglo settler based in Melbourne, Australia
Clare Land is an Anglo-identified non-Aboriginal person based in south-east Australia and a long-time supporter of Indigenous struggles. She is a historian and works as Director of Research at Victoria University’s Moondani Balluk Indigenous Academic Unit. Inspired by Aboriginal struggles, and responsive to the guidance of activist and historian Prof Gary Foley (member of the Gumbaynggirr nation), Clare has been engaged since 1998 with the history and present of settler colonialism by undertaking community-based organizing in solid support of a range of Aboriginal-led campaigns and by realising research projects prioritised by Prof Foley via his Aboriginal History Archive at VU. From 2004-2014 Clare collaborated with Krauatungulung (Gunai)/Djapwurrung (Gunditjmara) man Robbie Thorpe on a long-running radio programme on community radio 3CR in Fitzroy, Melbourne which fed in to a variety of projects and campaigns. Clare is best known for the 2015 book Decolonizing Solidarity, authored in association with Foley and Robbie.
Decolonizing solidarity: Dilemmas and Directions for Supporters of Indigenous Struggles
Through a fireside chat with author/activist Clare Land and leadership and social justice scholar Kem Gambrell, this session will center and discuss some of the key concerns and insights from the book “Decolonizing Solidarity.” The learnings shared by the pair will be placed in the context of recent political developments in Australia and the US and consider paths forward for greater solidarity and community wellbeing. In the discussion, Clare and Kem will provide various examples and settings which speaks to working in cultures and communities as Anglo activists and community researchers. They will also authentically display the deep reflection needed to work towards dismantling the notion that as community activists we can objectively look at our own work. Land will also discuss the updates to her book, a second edition of which will be published within 2024.
