Chelsea Watego facts for kids

Chelsea Watego, born in 1978 or 1979, is an Aboriginal Australian professor and writer. She is a proud Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander woman. Currently, she is a Professor of Indigenous Health at Queensland University of Technology. In 2021, she published her first book, Another Day in the Colony.

About Chelsea Watego's Life

Chelsea Watego was born in Brisbane, Queensland. Her father, Vern Watego, was a Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander man. The Mununjali Yugambeh people are an Aboriginal group from South East Queensland. Her mother, Elaine, has English and Irish family roots. Chelsea's great-great-great-grandfather was Bilin Bilin. He was a famous Yugambeh leader and diplomat who passed away in 1901.

Chelsea has five children: Kihi, Maya, Eliakim, Vernon, and George.

Chelsea Watego's Academic Journey

Chelsea Watego studied at the University of Queensland (UQ). She earned her Bachelor of Applied Health Science degree with honours in 2001. In 2007, she completed her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Her PhD research looked at how Aboriginal identity is talked about in public health.

She has worked as a researcher and teacher at both UQ and Queensland University of Technology (QUT). In 2021, she became a Professor of Indigenous Health at QUT. She is also a director and researcher at the Institute for Collaborative Race Research.

Chelsea has received important awards for her work. These include the 2009 NAIDOC Award for Scholar of the Year. She also won the 2012 Lowitja Institute Emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Researcher Award.

Her academic work focuses on understanding Indigenous experiences in the health system. She supports community-led approaches to improve Indigenous health. She has also helped develop the field of Indigenist health humanities. In 2021, she received a large grant to support this important work.

Chelsea Watego's Media and Writing Work

Chelsea Watego has written for many different publications. These include IndigenousX, NITV, ABC News, Meanjin, SBS, The Guardian, and The Conversation.

From 2017 to 2020, she co-hosted a radio show called Wild Black Women. The show was on 98.9 FM in Brisbane. They interviewed famous people like Trevor Noah.

Chelsea often speaks at events and on panels. She is known for speaking out against unfair systems.

In 2021, her first book, Another Day in the Colony, was published. It is a collection of essays. The book explores the daily challenges faced by First Nations peoples in Australia. Many people have praised the book. Declan Fry from The Guardian called it "a fierce manifesto for First Nations to flourish."

The book has won several awards. It won the People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award in 2022. It was also nominated for other major literary awards, including the Stella Prize.