The Dutjahn Foundation is an Aboriginal led non-for-profit foundation and registered charity established in 2016 and based in Western Australia.  Our board (see below) leads our direction and our core funder is Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils  - a union between Dutjahn Custodians and the founders of WA Sandalwood Plantations.  

​Our Theory of Change centres on supporting self-determination by Indigenous people as they strive to realise their own vision and goals.  
​We collaboratively support and work with Aboriginal communities and native title holders that live in the wild Sandalwood growing regions of Western Australia. 

Our Aims and Objectives

​Our main aim to positively impact on and contribute to the economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of Indigenous peoples and their descendants who are connected to the wild sandalwood growing regions of Western Australia.  
​
To achieve this aim we focus our efforts towards the following key strategies: 
1
​People’s Wellbeing
Building Indigenous capacity and self-sufficiency
​
  1. To fund, facilitate and support Sandalwood workforce capacity and employment opportunities via technical training, development of Sustainable Management Plans, loans for business development.  
  2. To support and build capacity for native title holders to gain access to, ownership of, and share resources within Sandalwood growing regions within native title lands.   
  3. To build and Support Indigenous collective power and voice within the Sandalwood industry to extend Indigenous leadership and influence within the Sustainable Land Management and Forestry Management areas. 
  4. Cultural wellbeing – To preserve, revitalise and embed cultural knowledge, including Sandalwood knowledge, to improve wellbeing for indigenous peoples living and working in Sandalwood desert homelands.  
  5. To facilitate and deliver projects that address poverty, sickness and disease prevalent among Indigenous communities in Sandalwood growing regions.   
2 
​Environmental Wellbeing
​Expanding Indigenous regenerative practices

  1. To protect, preserve and grow Sandalwood wild harvesting forests in a way that is regenerative and innovative.  
  2. To fund innovation and research into uses of the deadwood from Sandalwood Harvesting Resource Areas to increase environmental impact of forestry management practices.    

Our Board
CLINTON FARMER
​Chairman
​
Sandalwood harvesting in the desert is tough uncompromising work. Clinton manages and operates Kutkububba Aboriginal Corporation’s Indigenous Martu harvesting enterprise.  Caring for Country and following in his father’s footsteps is a cultural and commercial obligation to the Martu people. He is also a Director of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils.
​
He has never worked for anyone in his whole life, because he is a self-employed sandalwood harvester.  His father (first contact – deceased) taught him to care for country with socio-economic and environmental principles. 
DARREN FARMER
Director
​
Darren was the named applicant on the Birrilibulu Native Title claim (MNR).  He is the visionary behind Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils (DSO) and is a Director of DSO. 
​
In December 2014 we won a land mark Native Title settlement over sandalwood on our homelands.  This has taken our people 25 years. We now ask industry to support our quest to get the West Australian Government to work with us and mediate a settlement that unlocks our natural assets and allows us to lift our people from poverty with dignity.
KATINA LAW
​Director
​
Derby raised, from Worora and Walmajarri families, Katina is an executive with over 25 years international experience in financial and general management roles.  She is the Chair of Dutjahn Sandalwood Oils.
 
She is currently the Chair of ASX listed Ardea Resources Ltd and Yandal Resources Ltd, Managing Director of Indigenous Professional Services and a Non-Executive director of headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation.
 
Katina has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from UWA, is a Certified Practising Accountant and has an MBA from London Business School. She is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
 
As an Angel Investor and entrepreneur, Katina has developed and invested in several businesses, as well as mentored Indigenous business people to grow their influence in Australia’s economy.

​K Farmer Dutjahn Foundation is...

K Farmer
Named in honour of the father (deceased) of our founding Chair, who fought for his Martu people’s right for economic and cultural self-determination through their relationship with the wild Sandalwood forests of the arid desert rangelands of Western Australia. 
 ​
Dutjahn
Martu Wangka Australian Aboriginal term for the Australian Sandalwood tree – Santalum Spicatum.