Monica Galassi works as a Research Fellow at Jumbunna Research. She is an Italian anthropologist who has worked on several projects and initiatives to support Aboriginal self-determination and sovereignty in collecting institutions. Monica’s work and research interests focus on the importance of people having the right to access and manage their cultural heritage materials as a key driver for social justice.

In her previous roles in the Indigenous Services team at the State Library of NSW and at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Data Archive (ATSIDA), Monica has collaborated with several local organisations, public libraries and Australian and international institutions to facilitate access to collections related to the histories and experiences of NSW Aboriginal peoples and communities. These collaborations included the development of digital projects, physical and digital archives and the progression of best practices and guidelines to inform participatory and sustainable partnerships. Monica’s work currently focuses on supporting Aboriginal priorities in digital community archiving on Country.

Monica was awarded a UTS Research Excellence Scholarship to undertake doctoral studies in the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander archival records that have been misplaced in Italy. Her PhD thesis is titled ‘Archivi Aborigeni in Italia/Aboriginal Archives in Italy. The translation of knowledge at the cultural interface.