Dr. Jade S. Miller
Aboriginal Advisor and
Technologies Topic Expert
Tribe, Clans and Other
Yorta Yorta, Ulupna - Primary. Grandmothers Country
South Sea Islander Ni-Vanuatu Grandfathers Country
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Email:
Quick Facts:
Yorta Yorta tribe and links throughout Australia.
Over 20 Years Professional Experience
Worked in Government, Non-Profit and Private Sectors
Strong Family Influences
Great Grandmother Geraldine Briggs (OAM)
Grandmother (Mum) Frances Mathyssen (OAM)
Hyllus Maris
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A Bit About Me
Aboriginal and Islander people in Australia face numerous challenges in contemporary times. These include high rates of incarceration, poor health outcomes, and limited access to education and employment opportunities. Additionally, many Aboriginal people struggle with the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma and discrimination. Despite these challenges, many Aboriginal people are working to overcome these obstacles and create positive change in their communities.
Hello, my name is Jade I have dedicated and committed my life to addressing the challenges we face and determined to succeed in turning the tide of history to live in a world with zero discrimination, racism and more inclusive of Aboriginal culture and people around the globe.
Journey Snapshot
Towards Social and Economic Self-Determination
1978 - 1988
1988 - 1998
1998 - 2008
2008 - 2018
I was born 10 years after the 1967 federal referendum that granted Aboriginal people the right to vote in Australia. Raised by OAM Frances Mathyseen (Nee Briggs), I spent the next decade learning about fighting for equality, justice, and fairness by attending meetings with leaders from all around Australia, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal. Coincidently, the year 1988 the Royal Commission into Deaths in Custody Report was Published.
In hindsight, these years turned out to be invaluable and priceless in laying the foundations for what lay ahead.
As I headed into my high school years unfortunately between the ages of 10 to 14 I experienced discrimination and racism at the hands of the schools I attended. I left home and enrolled to an Independent Aboriginal Owned and Operated Boarding College. Here I continued my education in Victoria with the value-add of Aboriginal Culture a key focus on the school curriculum practicing history, language, dance, art and spiritual living culture. These years were also spent playing Australian Rules Football learing alot about how sport imitates life in many ways and also in these years my first interaction with IBM and Commodore 64 computer systems and my fondness for technology begins to flourish. My own leadership qualities as a young Aboriginal man in Australia begin to emerge.
Finished my high school years and endure some personal challenges between 1995-98. During this period I get my first Aboriginal Affairs related job at Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) with the Binaal Billa Council and concurrently my tribe Yorta Yorta Nation fails in its bid for Native Title with Australia's High Court. After that result, I decided to return home to Victoria and undertake leadership roles with Victoria Government at grassroot level to implement first of their kind justice and primary industry initiatives. At this point, I play an instrumental role in Successful:
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Pilot Delivery of Victoria's First Aboriginal Community Corrections Officer Initiative under the Victorian Aboriginal Justice Agreement; Followed by
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Delivery of Victoria's First Aboriginal Joint Advisory Committee direct report to the Minister of Environment, Victoria.
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While in 2004 I become Australia's youngest Chief Executive Officer of a Community Organisation and served office for the next 10 years. I served in a number of roles concurrently all working towards and contributing to social, economic and self-determination outcomes.
The next 10 years I played lead role in delivering significant social, economic and environmental initiatives to my homelands including:
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Local Aboriginal Organisation restructures and alignment with Federal Legislative Reforms
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Negotiating Victorias First Joint Management Agreement over Public Forest Reserve, now known as Barmah National Park on the Murray River
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Aboriginal Aged Care facility 200 beds
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While the commercial value of these projects would circle approximately $200m in commercial value the social, cultural and environmental impacts are priceless.
2018 - Present
With COVID19 heavily impacting 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 with public health and safety lockdowns and restrictions. Its really been 2023 to present where COVID recovery activity has been occuring. This period has seen founding of a number of technology and digital initiatives currently in there early stages.