Special Issue: Our Voices: Being Seen and Heard

After an Indigenous-themed issue in Australian Social Work (ASW) (2022), which included the new Proposed Guidelines for Articles by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Authors and About Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues (Bennett, 2022), an essential next step in the Journal’s Reconciliation process was to dedicate a Special Issue to solely centring and voicing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and authors. The Guest Editors of the prior Indigenous-themed issue in 2022 reconvened: Bindi Bennett, a Gamilaraay woman on Jinibara Country, Jennie Briese, a Giabal woman on Jagera and Turrbal Country (Meanjin), and three non-Indigenous editors, Susan Gair (working on Wulgurukaba and Bindal country), and Sue Gillieatt (on Wadjuk Noongar Boodja), with Fiona McDermott (on Wurundjeri land) as an advisor. At first, there was talk about whether there would be enough interest and whether the requisite number of authors and articles would emerge. However, it was clear very quickly that there was a high level of interest and although the Aboriginal Guest Editors were confident that quality and numbers were never the issue, worries about entrenched lack of opportunity due to the education disparity and other significant hurdles like systemic racism and western academic systems were real concerns. Both of these landmark Issues in 2022 and 2023 are about finally ensuring that Aboriginal scholars had active, vocal roles in the governance of issues that focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These roles meant visioning who might contribute, ensuring the independent review of all articles, reviewing all articles to assess fit, offering mentoring and supporting those authors who wanted or needed it, and meeting regularly to discuss progress. Not only was the review and editing work a challenge in terms of workload, but it was also a challenge to ensure the Journal process was culturally responsive. Cultural responsiveness is the ability to “learn from and relate respectfully to people from our own and other cultures. It requires openness to experience and thinking about things from other people’s points of view” (Bennett & Bodkin-Andrews, 2021, p. 11). Cultural responsiveness meant the team had to be prepared to work in different ways. For example, we reached out to the Journal’s publisher, Taylor and Francis, in the United Kingdom, whose Journal Editorial Office (JEO) checks articles against Journal guidelines. We were keen to upskill Taylor and Francis about Indigenous Acknowledgements, and we created individualised emails to respond to authors, reaching out to them to offer mentoring, while at the same time honouring and respecting all Aboriginal peoples in this process. We did not always get it right. In fact, the first time an article was submitted online via ScholarOne, it was unsubmitted due to the authors’ positioning themselves and Acknowledging Country, which was not on the Journal’s checklist. Unfortunately, the standard email template for unsubmitting articles was sent to Aboriginal authors. We were embarrassed. We also were frightened that our mistake might mean Aboriginal authors would disengage from the process and that this would be a loss for the Journal. The team then penned a personal email with a heartfelt apology and sent it to the authors via the lead Editor. A new way forward and a problem-