Aunty Judith Shea

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Aunty Judith Shea is a Pijakali, Nyangumarta, and Kartujarra woman from the Great Sandy Desert in Western Australia. She carries a lifelong connection to her Culture, deeply rooted in Ancestral knowledge from birth to death. As a survivor of the Stolen Generations, Aunty Judith’s journey has taken her across Australia, engaging with diverse communities who have shared their knowledge, granted permissions, and contributed to her understanding of significant and diverse cultural systems and practices.

Living across two cultures, Aunty Judith possesses a unique set of skills, knowledge, and tools, often described as having a “white hand in Black Culture” and a “Black hand in White Culture.” This lived perspective enables her to share collaborative intelligence, fostering understanding and adaptability between cultures.

As a respected Elder, knowledge keeper, and cultural truth-teller, Aunty Judith is the founder of "Be Still & Listen Deep Consultancy," where she brings a strength-based approach to empowering communities. Drawing on the spirits of her ancestors, Apicals, Elders, and local communities, she is committed to honouring traditional custodianship practices encompassing the land, rivers, oceans, and sky. Through her consultancy, she embeds cultural knowledge and lore, equipping individuals and organisations with tools to move forward with respect, equity, and a shared purpose.

Aunty Judith’s work is centred on collective action, guided by Ancestral spirits, respect, and collaboration. She has a vision for meaningful treaty-making and achieving sustainable, adaptable outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Now based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Aunty Judith has been a passionate advocate for the local Aboriginal community for over 48 years, ensuring that cultural identity through healing remains strong, proud, and vibrant.

With her unique perspective, resilience, and lifelong dedication to cultural empowerment, Aunty Judith continues to inspire and guide those around her toward a future rooted in respect, knowledge, tools and collective strength.

 In this powerful episode Auntie Judith discusses her whole of life journey and unwavering commitment to sharing knowledge and tools in Cultural preservation and community empowerment. As a survivor of the Stolen Generation, Judy shares her deeply personal experiences and the challenges she has faced in reconnecting with her blood family. Through her life’s walk as a respected elder, knowledge keeper, and cultural truth-teller, Aunty Judith imparts invaluable wisdom on the importance of respecting traditional custodianship, seeking permission to walk on country, and keeping the ancestral fire burning, black, loud and proud. Listeners will be captivated by Aunty Judith’s powerful storytelling and inspired by her vision for a future where Aboriginal knowledges, Cultural Intelligence and lore are celebrated and embedded in equity across all aspects of society.

Thank you to Shannan Bishop, a proud Gunggari Artist and Graphic Designer, who also has connections to Wakka Wakka and Kabi Kabi, for designing The Dreaming Collective's Podcast Artwork. Shannan's art depicts our host, Carly Forrest's journey of bringing the podcast to life and shows the coming together of freshwater and saltwater ~ red dirt and sand with the sharing of our storylines connecting us all and preserving these yarns for future generations.