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Mundanara Bayles works with people, not for people with the genius of Aboriginal Knowledge at her company the BlackCard. But if you ask her who she it, she connects straight to her ‘humanness’ and says, “who you are is more important than what you do”.
I asked her how we take and use her First Nations knowledge in our own lives and workplaces, and her response was that the Aboriginal way of knowing, being and doing is a gift for us to take and use
Mundanara was so open with her knowledge and her experiences, and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.
In this episode we discuss:
- Who you are is more important than what you do
- Mundanara’s work at the BlackCard building cultural awareness and considering things through an Aboriginal perspective
- Her Aunt Lilla, who was the first Aboriginal woman to be employed at University of Queensland
- Creating a university-accredited program focusing on Aboriginal perspectives, Aboriginal approaches to knowledge and Aboriginal workview and politics
- The respect given to Aboriginal elders as an elite with authority but not power, in a Socratic method of governance
- The differences between Aboriginal and white culture, and the challenge of code-switching between the two
- Breaking inter-generational cycles of trauma and poverty, and the ongoing impact from the Stolen Generations
- Mum guilt, feeling our emotions, and doing the best with what we have
About Mundanara Bayles
Mundanara’s cultural heritage is connected to the Wonnarua andnBunjalung people on her mother’s side and the Birri-Gubba and Gungalu on her father’s side. Mundanara grew up in Redfern NSW with her 8 sisters and moved to her father’s country in the early 90’s. Coming from a family that has been active in the Aboriginal movement since the 60s and 70s she continues to follow their example. As a proud advocate for her people, she follows in her father’s footsteps and aims to make a positive contribution.
Mundanara has more than 20 years’ experience, working for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations in NSW and QLD, including but not limited to, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the Salvation Army Employment Plus, Busy at Work, the Child Support Agency, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH), and Brisbane Indigenous Media Association. Mundanara won the Indigenous Businesswoman of the year at the Supply Nations Supplier Diversity Awards 2023. Mundanara is the host of the award winning podcast, Black Magic Woman which is the first indigenous podcast to join the iHeart network.
Mundanara has been recognised internationally for her teaching & learning skills as an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) in the United Kingdom, and has formal qualifications in the disciplines of media, business, assessment and training.
Mundanara is on several committees and boards, including but not limited to, the Aboriginal & Islander Independent Community School also known as The Murri School; Philanthropy Australia’s First Nations Governance Committee; Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) advisor for AGL; Founding Director of The Land Back Foundation, Founder of Deadly Futures Indigenous Corperation, Visiting fellow of QUT’s Learning and Teaching Unit. Mundanara is currently studying a Masters of Indigenous Business Leadership at Monash University, with a podcast partnership with Monash Business School.
Mundanara is the Managing Director/ Co-Founder and workshop facilitator of the BlackCard Pty Ltd, which is a 100% Aboriginal owned business certified with Supply Nation. Mundanara co-founded BlackCard with Dr Lilla Watson, who is a respected Aboriginal elder, artist, educator andl ong-time course developer. BlackCard is a specialist consultancy providing cultural capabilitytraining and consultancy services to enable people and organisations to work effectively with members of the Aboriginal community. BlackCard’s purpose is working with people, not for people, with the genius of Aboriginal Knowledge.