The Indigenous Wellbeing Conference 2025 brought over 500 delegates together in Meanjin (Brisbane) recently, spanning community leaders, Elders, youth voices, service providers, researchers, and policy makers from across Australia, Aotearoa and the Pacific, united under the theme “Walking Together, Flourishing Together: Pathways to Indigenous Wellbeing.”
The Clare Foundation was proudly represented by Stevie-Jean Gear (Strategic Lead – Youth) and Anne-Marie Maikuku (Strategic Lead – Oral Health), alongside partners Luke Grey founder WĀHI Charitable Trust and Michael Edmonds, Manager at Te Toi Ora ki Whāingaroa (Raglan, NZ).
This inspiring gathering created a powerful space to learn, connect, and share best-practice approaches to Indigenous wellbeing, hearing directly from those on the ground who are empowering and transforming their communities every day.
Together, we continue to walk towards stronger, culturally grounded wellbeing for all First Nations peoples — guided by connection, respect, and collective action.
Key Themes and Highlights
The conference provided a rich programme of panels, keynote presentations and breakout sessions centred on culturally-grounded solutions for First Nations Australians, Māori and Pasifika communities. Some of the standout themes included:
- Connection to Country/Whenua, culture and ancestry – recognising the pivotal role of cultural identity, spirituality and land-based practice in social and emotional wellbeing.
- Indigenous-led models of care and resilience – exploring holistic, community-led approaches to mental health and wellbeing, moving beyond traditional service models.
- Youth empowerment and leadership – engaging young people in shaping their own wellbeing pathways, innovating in education, technology and cultural expression.
- Environmental and climate stewardship through Indigenous knowledge – linking ecological health, sustainable land practices and cultural wellbeing for flourishing communities.
- Cultural lore, legal frameworks and economic futures – acknowledging that wellbeing is interwoven with governance, self-determination, economic empowerment and cultural heritage.
- Innovation, technology and digital storytelling – leveraging new media and digital platforms to preserve Indigenous narratives, support wellbeing and promote intergenerational connection.
The conference reaffirmed Clare’s commitment to placing culture, connection and community at the heart of wellbeing initiatives. Key learnings for our future work included strengthening partnerships with Indigenous-led organisations to co-design programmes, prioritising youth-led initiatives, exploring digital and storytelling platforms, embedding place-based, land-connected practices into wellbeing strategies, driving economic development opportunities, and advocating for policy alignment and systems change that supports Indigenous peoples.