Defiant Resistance

A tribute to the strength and agency of Indigenous women and families impacted by violence, Defiant Resistance is an act of Indigenous self-determination.

Through sharing women’s stories in their own words, Marlene Longbottom enables them to take back their narrative and reclaim power. The title itself embodies a vital truth: the unwavering refusal by Indigenous women and their families to be silenced or ignored any longer.

With deeply personal narratives from Indigenous women who have faced violence, and Indigenous families who have endured profound loss, this book shatters the silence around their stories. Marlene Longbottom amplifies these voices, demanding systemic change that is long overdue and highlighting community-led pathways toward a life beyond violence.

About the Author

Dr Marlene Longbottom is a proud Yuin woman, from the Wandi Wandian and Wodi Wodi clans from Roseby Park Mission (Jerrinja) on the south coast of New South Wales. Currently Associate Professor at the Indigenous Education & Research Centre at James Cook University, Marlene has been a dedicated advocate for Indigenous communities for more than 30 years, working as an Aboriginal Health Worker and in Indigenous policy and social justice across New South Wales and Queensland. Her practical experience grounds her academic work, ensuring that it remains deeply connected to the lived realities of the Indigenous communities she works alongside.

Defiant Resistance stands as powerful example of this commitment, drawing upon her decade-long research into the violence and harm experienced by Indigenous women and families. For the past 17 years, she has led community-based research and evaluation projects in urban, regional and remote areas of New South Wales and Queensland. Marlene’s deep commitment to Indigenous agency and self-determination has been recognised through prestigious honours including a Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA) from the Australian Research Council.