The First Inventors shines a light on 65 000 years of Indigenous knowledge and archaeology

“The series will help educate community around human evolution but also give other perspectives around knowledge and how people have survived on this continent.” – Professor Chris Wilson (Aboriginal Research Fellow University of Tasmania)

The First Inventors. Episode 1. Chris Wilson in Gunditjmara Country (Victoria)

The First Inventors is a four-part documentary series exploring 65,000 years of Aboriginal Australian invention, looking at how landscapes were transformed, how events were recorded, the use of navigation tools, and how societies were organised.

In a conversation with NITV Radio, Professor Chris Wilson, co-presenter of the First Inventors says that the documentary is showing to the rest of the community what Indigenous science is, or what Indigenous knowledge is and Indigenous archaeology.

The First Inventors. Episode 1. Chris Wilson and Tyson Lovett-Murray fishing in Gunditjmara Country in Victoria

“We can learn a lot from experts and academics but also from Traditional Owners, and Elders who lived on Country. So, it is bringing together a range of different people and a range of knowledges,” Professor Chris Wilson said.

The First Inventors is available to stream for free on SBS On Demand, where it is subtitled in Arabic and Simplified Chinese.