Soap made using ingredients from Country – Merging Indigenous cultural knowledge with science

Indigenous youth in rural Northern Territory are exploring the chemistry of soap-making in a project led by Indigenous scientists and elders, and based on Indigenous cultural knowledge and science. 

DeadlyLabs – a new project from DeadlyScience – provides Indigenous learners opportunities to learn and do scientific experiments from an early age. So far, DeadlyScience has delivered more than 25,000 books, 700 telescopes and other learning tools for students in remote communities. 

The DeadlyLabs project was founded in 2018 by Adjunct Associate Professor Corey Tutt from University of Western Sydney.  

And as a proud Kamilaroi man, Corey says he strives to create pathways for Indigenous youth to take up STEM careers, empower Indigenous youth with science and merge cultural knowledge and learning on Country with hands-on experiments in the classroom. 

The Wire’s Aryana Mohmood spoke with Corey about his personal experiences founding this project, the struggles Indigenous youth face in accessing science resources, and the importance of exposing Indigenous youth to pursue careers in science. 

Image: Soap-making with DeadlyLabs in the classroom (credit: DeadlyScience/Merck)

Produced By: Aryana Mohmood

Featured In Story: Adjunct Associate Professor from Uni of Western Sydney, CEO and Founder of Deadly Science and proud Kamilaroi man, Corey Tutt

First aired on The Wire, Monday 7 August 2023