Reshaping the Culture of Indigenous Business: 2019 Futures Forum

Abstract

In 2019 Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) hosted 60 of Australia’s emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business, organisation and manage-ment leaders in a four-day intensive event; the Futures Forum. Participants were prompted to conceive a “50-year Vision for Re-Shaping the Culture of Indige-nous Business”. They were immersed in Indigenous Knowledge experiences such as yarning (talking) circles and cultural walks, combined with critical, speculative and strategic design techniques including relational futures mapping to help them design narratives of Indigenous business futures. The intention of the Futures Forum was to be a decolonising event both in its pre-event organisational qualities and in the workshop steps. On the former, this chapter discusses communication and design tactics undertaken to organise and build interest in the event that deliberately acted to decentre mainstream neoliberal conceptions of business forums towards an Indigenous-led decolonising approach. On the latter, it describes how the elucidation of forms of coloniality in past, present and future is relationally unpacked in the event. This chapter describes the theoretical frameworks, methodologies and reflections of the event.

Access the book chapter (chapter 9) here.

Figure 7 Screenshot Of Video Of The Futures Forum Teaser Video Figure 6 View Of Participants Reflecting On The Eight Final Futures Forum Maps Figure 5 Participants Co Creating Their Maps Figure 4 View Of Some Of The Knowledge Cards Used In The Futures Forum Figure 3 Relational Mapping At The Futures Forum Figure 1 Panoramic View Of Futures Forum Workshop Session Figure 2 Yarning And Visual Relational Pattern Thinking At The Futures Forum