Simone Bignall

Simone Bignall is a Researcher at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), affiliated with the Jumbunna Research Hub for Indigenous Nations and Collaborative Futures. Previously, she held roles as Senior Lecturer in Indigenous Strategy and Engagement at Flinders University (2015-2019) and as a Faculty Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of New South Wales. She earned her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Sydney in 2007, focusing on political philosophy and postcolonial theory.

Her research centers on decolonization, excolonialism, and Indigenous sovereignty, with a focus on collaborative transformation frameworks. Core areas include political philosophy, postcolonial theory, Continental European philosophy (Spinoza to Deleuze), critical theory, anarchism, and biopolitical ethics. Her work intersects Indigenous self-determination, treaty processes, and environmental governance, particularly through case studies like the Ngarrindjeri Nation.

Key contributions include theorizing 'excolonialism' as a political philosophy, exploring Indigenous data sovereignty, and analyzing colonial fascism. She has co-edited volumes on Deleuze and pragmatism, contributing to continental philosophy debates. Her recent work addresses posthumanism's intersection with Indigenous epistemologies.

Bignall collaborates across disciplines, engaging with Indigenous communities to develop pedagogical frameworks like Ngarrindjeri Yannarumi, which integrates cultural revitalization with environmental stewardship. She advocates for decolonizing academic practices and advancing Indigenous-led governance models.