An unwavering commitment to Indigenous rights and community development has seen Michelle Deshong emerge as a prominent figure in the realm of governance, advocacy, and political change.
It was a move from Townsville to Canberra after high school that marked the start of Michelle Deshong’s two-decade long career in the public and private sectors.
“It was during my time in Canberra that I really learnt about the mechanism and inner workings of governments,” Michelle says. “It gave me an understanding of its operations, and how it impacts all our lives.”
Michelle spent the majority of her twenty-year career working at the forefront of Indigenous Affairs where she was involved in the shaping of national agendas such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and National Congress.
Throughout this time, she founded Deshong Consulting in 2008, initially operating as a side venture to provide governance, leadership, and strategic planning advice. But after recognising the increasing demand for her services, she took the leap and committed to the business full-time in 2020.
“For many years, consulting was something I did on the side. It was really a mechanism for me to be able to continue to do that work across Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” continues Michelle.
“But during COVID, I left my job as CEO of the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute to pursue it, which also meant I learnt some valuable lessons about being in business during a pandemic.”
Currently, Michelle works across the full leadership spectrum, offering mentoring and guidance to enhance leadership capabilities across metropolitan, regional, and remote Australia. She works closely with communities, organisations, and key stakeholders to provide insight, networks, and in-depth engagement with, and for, Indigenous peoples.
Her work over the years has seen her be named the 2015 National NAIDOC Scholar of the year for her contribution to academia and community development.
In 2016, Michelle also received the prestigious Fulbright Indigenous Professional Scholarship and undertook research in the USA and Canada on First Nations Leadership and Governance, centred around nation building and gender equality. This was followed by a Churchill Fellowship in 2018 to continue to research Indigenous rights in a global context.
“ As a Fulbright Scholar, I went to USA and worked with the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona on self-governance and leadership work with First Nations people,” says Michelle.
“I then had the opportunity to go to Canada as part of this and look at both the similarities and differences in terms of a rights-based approach for First Nations people and strategic pursuit of self-determination.
“For me, it was really about working to understand different models, creating frameworks and continuing the work with our own mob here so we can build on ideas and best practice. It is important to be visionary in the spaces and places where we have the opportunity to lead change.”
Building on her political studies, Michelle has also worked as the lead facilitator for Oxfam’s national Straight Talk program, which teaches Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women about the political system and how they can use political engagement to create change in their communities.
“I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power,” she says. “Once we are better informed, we have knowledge about the intricacies of impact, diversity and circumstance; it helps us shape who we want to be.”
Main Image: Michelle Deshong at the Women’s Voices National Summit.
Image credits: All images supplied by Michelle Deshong.
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