Executive Summary

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of disengagement and recovery from two distinct, yet similarly high-demand, organizational types: GuriNgai, a group built on contested Indigenous identity claims, and Coast Environmental Alliance (CEA), an activist organization led by Jake Cassar, which exhibits characteristics of a cult through its blend of spiritualized faux-environmentalism, reliance on charismatic leadership over authenticity, expertise or results, and conspiratorial narratives. The investigation applies psychological and sociological insights to delineate the unique challenges faced by individuals leaving each group and to propose tailored support mechanisms.

The analysis reveals that the non-Aboriginal GuriNgai groups exhibits characteristics of a high-demand, exploitative group due to its foundational deception regarding Indigenous identity. Individuals disengaging from GuriNgai face a profound “double trauma,” encompassing both the psychological manipulation common to high-demand groups and the existential crisis of discovering a deeply held cultural identity was fraudulent. This situation necessitates highly specialized, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive interventions that address identity reconstruction and the ethical implications of unwitting participation in cultural appropriation.

Similarly, Coast Environmental Alliance, under the leadership of Jake Cassar, functions as a high-demand group. Its public persona, blending wilderness survival with spiritualized faux-environmentalism, and its campaigns against Aboriginal-controlled entities, draw heavily from appropriated Aboriginal spiritual symbolism and anti-institutional conspiracy narratives, constituting “settler conspirituality” (Cooke, 2025a). Disengagement from CEA is characterized by challenges akin to leaving a cult, including processing disillusionment with a charismatic leader, navigating a reality built on conspiratorial tropes, and confronting the ethical implications of unwitting participation in cultural appropriation and the undermining of Indigenous sovereignty.

The report concludes with actionable recommendations for support services, emphasizing the critical need for differentiated approaches to recovery based on the fundamental nature of the group left. It highlights the broader societal implications of identity fraud and the imperative for reconciliation efforts to support genuine Indigenous communities.