About us
‘Old Ways, New’ started one day in a diner, in New York City.
Angie was there to present her research on automation and Indigenous knowledge systems, developed with the guidance of Uncle Mukgrrngal, Wayne Armytage at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Meeting up with a group of Indigenous leaders later on that day, we discussed how we might build capacity for Indigenous rights in a proactive, not reactive way. We wanted to move faster, be more agile in the way we engaged with mob, and have real teeth to drive change. We wanted to share knowledge and set the direction for the future of Indigenous people. I believed change needed to sit at the juncture of Culture, Research, Strategy, and Technology.
On the back of a napkin, ‘Old Ways, New’ was born. For almost 10 years, our mission has been to develop and share knowledge to support Indigenous agency, autonomy, and cultural resilience and, ultimately, support the next generation of Indigenous technologists.
Founded by Professor Angie Abdilla, a palawa woman with Uncle Wayne Mukgrrngal Armytage, ‘Old Ways, New’ allows educational institutions, corporations, and government to engage with Indigenous AI, Governance of AI, and Country Centred Design through learning workshops, research, and cultural projects.
Bronwyn Penrith
Aunty Bronwyn Penrith, Wiradjuri and Yuin has worked all her life for equality and the recognition of Aboriginal people and their rights. She was the inaugural Chair of Moreton Consulting and is currently the Deputy Chair of Burbangana Group's Board of Directors. Bronwyn delivers mentoring training, cultural awareness, and community education workshops. She is a highly skilled mediator and is a registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner with the Australian Government Department of the Attorney General. In addition to her life and work experience, Bronwyn's qualifications include a Diploma in Business: Indigenous Governance from Tranby Aboriginal College and a Certificate IV - Mentoring in Diversity. Bronwyn is a very experienced facilitator and consultant advisor. She enjoys working on projects to help improve communication, planning, consultation, and team effectiveness.
Founder and Director
Professor Angie Abdilla
Professor Angie Abdilla palawa is the founder and director of Old Ways, New. In her various roles as a strategic designer, creative practitioner, and consultant, Angie advocates for Indigenous peoples, knowledges, and knowledge systems as foundational to technology automation through design and cultural practice. Her published research interrogates the praxis of Indigenous deeptime technologies and Artificial Intelligence, which continue to be informed by the Indigenous Protocols and AI working group (IP//AI), which she co-founded. As a creative practitioner, she works across film and video installation as an exhibiting artist. She created the company’s strategic design methodology, Country Centered Design, leading projects for the public and private sectors over the past decade. Angie continues to advise on the cultural and ethical affordances of automated systems and technologies internationally and locally.
Co-Founder
Mukgrrngal
Entering the Dreaming (1954 - 2019), Mukgrrngal Wiradjuri and Kuku Thaypan. In 1988, he set up The Fourth World Foundation with the aim of promoting culture, education, and unity within an Australian context. He worked in suicide prevention, grief, drug and alcohol counseling, men’s sexual health education, and prison support with a range of organisations, including Life Promotions, The Northern Rivers Aids Council, the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, and Mona Mona Aboriginal dance company. He chaired a workshop series with Aboriginal Elders and community leaders over seven years and toured and held workshops throughout Europe promoting Aboriginal ways of knowing and being. Mukrrngal also worked as an Independent Service Provider to the education department, furthering cross-cultural understanding and conflict management.