From Norseman and Esperance, in southern Western Australia, to the United Nations in Geneva, Sheena Graham has been taking Indigenous human rights to the world stage.

Sheena is a proud Ngadju woman who now leads BHP’s global policy settings for Indigenous rights.

Growing up in Norseman, Sheena spent a lot of time exploring the different waterholes, trees, animals and small township. 

“We spent a lot of the time at a place we called the ‘slime dump’. And later, growing up as an adult, I realise now that we were playing in the remnants of an old tailings dam,” explained Sheena. 

Despite having hundreds of Ngadju family members in Norseman, Sheena lost part of her cultural connection to country, which has driven her passion for Indigenous affairs throughout her career. 

“My grandmother and my mother were stolen by the government, so I lost my language. I lost our stories. I can’t share them with my own children.”

Sheena became interested in social justice and human rights, volunteering with Amnesty International in her spare time.

Then, once her degree in political science was completed at the University of Western Australia, Sheena put it to use in the centre of politics – Canberra. 

Starting out at AusAID and working on overseas development programs in the Pacific, she soon realised that her experience as an Indigenous woman – combined with her study – was incredibly valuable.

“As I was working on international issues about building the capacity of developing countries, I always thought about it in terms of my own community's interest as well. I believe that communities that have strong governance and cohesion are in a better position to negotiate with mining companies and demand better for their interest.”

Sheena went on to work for Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), developing their first Indigenous People’s Strategy in 2015 and Indigenous Diplomacy Agenda in 2021. Sheena managed Australia’s foreign policies that sought to improve human rights outcomes for Indigenous peoples globally, including at the UN Human Rights Council in in Switzerland and the UN General Assembly in New York.  

Sheena switched to the private sector in 2022, joining BHP to see what it takes to apply human rights standards into the way a mining company makes its decisions.

“The journey has been really interesting so far,” said Sheena. 

“What does it look like when you're designing a mine, developing a tailings dam, planning for closure? How does that contribute towards human rights outcomes for the community’s land you're operating on? It's very practical. And so that's my job now is to find ways to put those standards into practice.” 

Sheena strongly believes that it’s critically important to not only employ Indigenous peoples but also ensure that they're in positions of influence and can effect change from the top down.

“Since I've joined BHP as a practice lead, I do have the ability to work with Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues around the world to shape the way in which global standards are developed, defined, and mandatory for all projects going forward.”

Her experience growing up in Norseman has been critical to her work. 

“Ultimately it's about making sure that our languages, ability to practice ceremonies, lands, waterways, plants and animals are protected for our children and future generations. So that in 200 years’ time – we still exist as distinct people.”