Relationships first: Dr Ren Perkins
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 131 No 7, 2 October 2026, page no.4
This year, I had the honour of hosting the QTU’s Dr Evelyn Scott Memorial Lecture on the eve of our August Council meeting.
The QTU began hosting the Dr Evelyn Scott Memorial Lecture in 2021, and since then the word “honour” is often used by our guest keynote speakers. For me as a non-Indigenous teacher and teacher-unionist, the honour was mixed with humility, as I thought about Dr Evelyn Scott’s achievements in bringing people together to effect change.
Scott’s life embodied what Reconciliation Australia described as “fierce yet dignified leadership”. Born on Nywaigi Country near Ingham in 1935, she was a prominent campaigner for the 1967 Referendum, a leader within the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, a strong advocate for Indigenous women, and later Chair of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
It was this legacy that framed Dr Ren Perkins’ 2026 keynote, titled Relationships First: Education, Leadership, and the Work Still Before Us.
Dr Perkins spoke with warmth, humour, and conviction as he reflected on more than two decades working in Indigenous education. He reminded the teachers and educators in the audience that meaningful change begins with trust, accountability, and genuine human connection, as opposed to departmental policies or government programs.
“Relationships first,” became his repeated refrain. “Before curriculum. Before policy. Before strategy. Before programs.”
Dr Perkins challenged institutions to move beyond symbolic inclusion towards genuine Indigenous leadership. While representation remains important, he argued that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must have authority to shape decisions, not simply be consulted after those decisions have already been made. He highlighted the critical distinction between consultation and relationship, inclusion and leadership, and participation and power.
Drawing on his research into the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers, Dr Perkins explored why so many remain in education despite considerable challenges. He proposes that the answer is rarely found in organisational structures. Instead, it is found in relationships, identity, purpose, and community. So, rather than expecting Indigenous educators to become increasingly resilient, he urged institutions to examine how they might better support teachers to flourish.
The lecture also tackled concepts such as cultural safety, belonging, and self-determination. Dr Perkins argued that cultural safety is not simply about acquiring knowledge of Indigenous histories and cultures. Rather, it requires organisations to examine how power operates, whose knowledge is valued, and who gets to make decisions. Cultural humility, he said, means being willing to listen, learn, and occasionally admit when we are wrong.
Notably, Dr Perkins connected Indigenous justice and trade union principles, observing that both recognise the need to address structural barriers rather than place responsibility solely on individuals. In doing so, he highlighted the important role educators and unions can play in advancing reconciliation and creating more equitable educational environments.
Dr Perkins closed his lecture with a challenge to the audience, asking not what they might achieve in the future, but what they would do differently on Monday morning. The question echoed the spirit of Evelyn Scott’s own life: a belief that justice requires action, courage, and persistence.
More than two decades after her leadership of the reconciliation movement, Dr Evelyn Scott’s invitation remains as relevant as ever: “Will you take our hand? Will you dare to share our dream?” Through his powerful lecture, Dr Ren Perkins offered a response grounded in education, partnership, and hope, reminding us that the work of reconciliation begins, and endures, with relationships.
Dr Perkins’ 2026 Dr Evelyn Scott Memorial Lecture was recorded, and with his permission it will be uploaded on the QTU website here.