The first Aboriginal Australian to be awarded a PhD in Archaeology from Flinders University, Dr Chris Wilson is living out his childhood dream as he works with Indigenous communities to protect and manage cultural heritage.

What made you decide to pursue archaeology?

My interest in ancient civilisations, ancient cultures and working with and for Indigenous communities, in particular learning about the past from elders.

What is your current research about?

My current research includes building upon the work in the Lower Murray River, South Australia ‘Holocene Occupation and Subsistence of Ngarrindjeri Ruwe’ – which means land, body and spirit – the ideas of the cultural landscapes across country, body and sky, and exploring the intersections between archaeology, heritage and Indigeneity. I am passionate about culture, heritage and the deep past in Australia.

I am also working on a book titled Ngarrindjeri Ruwar (also meaning the intersection of land, body and spirit) and the Archaeology of the Lower Murray River, South Australia for Routledge.

How does your work benefit the community?

My work is about sharing the past and benefiting communities that I work with and for – including Indigenous, local, Australian and global.

I am proud to be Aboriginal and Australian and motivated by my work in archaeology and my colleagues at Flinders University and globally, who are doing some ground-breaking work that enables us all to have conversations about the First Australians, colonialism and nation building through the material culture.

Can you share  a highlight from your site work?

I am working with the Ngarrindjeri community and the National Museum of Australian at the moment to exhibit artefacts from my PhD work in the new environmental histories exhibition that will be held in 2020, Canberra. Dr George Main, who leads this redevelopment, was fascinated by work around Ponde (Murray Cod) otolith undertaken in conjunction with other colleagues, in particular Dr Morgan Disspain who determined an otolith excavated to be from a cod atleast 2.2m in length (the longest modern Murray cod is 1.8m).

What has been your proudest moment as a researcher?

Graduating with my PhD – a goal which I have pursued since I was 14 years old.

Has your work provided opportunities to share your perspectives and knowledge to discussions outside of your direct field?

Yes, I have held a number of roles on various bodies and am always keen to contribute to discussions on broader Indigenous issues.

At the moment I am working on Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) with the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) and last year was voted on to the National Executive Committee for AAA as the Indigenous Officer. I’m also on the Flinders University working group for our RAP.

My upcoming presentations include a keynote at the Gender Sex and Sexualities conference with my paper titled ‘Black Bodies’, the Australian Social Policy Conference being held at Flinders University with colleagues from the University of Melbourne, and I recently presented at the ANU Symposium ‘Beyond Wallace’s Line‘, celebrating 50 years of Archaeology.