Dr Marlene Longbottom is a proud Yuin woman, from the Wandi Wandian and Wodi Wodi clans from Roseby Park Mission (Jerrinja) on the south coast of New South Wales. Currently Associate Professor at the Indigenous Education & Research Centre at James Cook University, Marlene has been a dedicated advocate for Indigenous communities for more than 30 years, working as an Aboriginal Health Worker and in Indigenous policy and social justice across New South Wales and Queensland. Her practical experience grounds her academic work, ensuring that it remains deeply connected to the lived realities of the Indigenous communities she works alongside. Defiant Resistance stands as powerful example of this commitment, drawing upon her decade-long research into the violence and harm experienced by Indigenous women and families. For the past 17 years, she has led community-based research and evaluation projects in urban, regional and remote areas of New South Wales and Queensland. Marlene's deep commitment to Indigenous agency and self-determination has been recognised through prestigious honours including a Discovery Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award (DAATSIA) from the Australian Research Council.