Australia
Arrernte elder, linguist, ecologist, and 2015 NAIDOC Female Elder of the year, Veronica Perrurle Dobson has been described as Arrandic equivalent of a professor of environmental science. She has a life long commitment to preserving the Aboriginal language, culture and plant knowledge of Central Australia and is an inspiration and role model too many people both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, seeking her out for language and cultural education.