Introduction

The over-representation of Indigenous youth with FASD in the justice systems in settler states is about intersecting forms of oppression that are founded in, and sustained by, settler colonialism. High rates of FASD in Aboriginal communities in Australia are the consequence of unhealed intergenerational and transgenerational trauma linked to colonial violence and dispossession and its pervasive impact on social, emotional, and cultural well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Grounded in a decolonising approach, we argue for a strategic framework for the management of FASD that is multidisciplinary and community-focussed, prioritising diversion from the criminal justice system into community-owned networks of care and support. It is not enough to develop multidisciplinary approaches and multi-disciplinary teamwork if Indigenous knowledges are excluded from the process. Initiatives on a local level must be initiated from the bottom up, not the top down, be led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Law and Culture. In this introduction to the book, we outline our approach, the positionality of the authors, and the structure of the book.