MDHS Indigenous conference celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research excellence
The inaugural MDHS Indigenous conference, held on 24 and 25 September at the Melbourne Museum, provided a valuable platform for Indigenous staff to showcase their work, while also creating a supportive environment for early-career academics to present their research and engage in meaningful dialogue.
It was an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, academics and professional staff and non-Indigenous colleagues and co-workers, to network, gain professional development and to ‘take a breath’, while thinking about other connections they need to be making. Attendees said they were excited to see and celebrate the depth and breadth of work taking place and to meet colleagues face-to-face.
Indigenous excellence recognised
Indigenous staff awards were presented at the conference dinner on the first night.
Congratulations to:
- Dr Emily Munro-Harrison, Excellence in Research Award, for establishing the Poche Indigenous Graduate Research Program, which offers tailored scholarly support throughout the candidature journey.
- Hayley Barker, Professional Staff Excellence Award, for exemplifying outstanding leadership in executing ‘Green It and They Will Come” initiative. This initiative has successfully fostered a strong sense of ownership and connection among staff, while also building resilient community.
- Patrick Mercer, Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award, for designing interactive and collaborative learning experiences that integrate First Nations perspectives, engaging students in a meaningful way to develop skills in practitioner reflexivity, cultural safety and person-centred care.
- Skye Stewart, Excellence in Community Engagement and Partnerships Award, for engaging with families in a culturally and emotionally safe manner when addressing sensitive topics related to experiences of maternity care.
- Lesley Martin, Excellence in Knowledge Translation Award, for demonstrating exceptional excellence in knowledge translation for Trachoma health promotion. Her efforts have facilitated community-supported access to essential health resources over the years. As a result, there has been significant reduction in trachoma rates, with a notable decrease in the number of communities experiencing high rates of this disease.
- Levi Murray, Excellence in Knowledge Translation Award, for instrumental work to bridge the gap between Indigenous communities and research institutions, promoting culturally sensitive methodologies, and empowering Indigenous researchers to lead in areas critical to their communities.
Award recipients received a trophy from Ngarga Warendj, as well as a $1000 professional development grant.
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Indigenous health research presentations
Dr Alastair Vance, Dr Emily Munro-Harrison, Sarah Large, Ngaree Blow, Kristy Meiselbach, Dr Rachel Joyce, Odette Mazel, Makkaillah Ridgeway and Professor Mitchell Anjou, Abby-Rose Cox, Kimberley Seear, Debbie Haynes, Tui Crumpen and Shani Crumpen presented their research over the two days.
Attendees heard 11 research presentations on topics important to Indigenous communities from reframing Torres Strait Islander history through the objects dispersed by empires; understanding the causes of non-smoking-related lung cancer; hearing the experiences of young people practicing indigeneity in Narrm; the uptake of self-collection for cervical cancer screening in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, to how animal therapy can help traumatised young people sooth themselves.
Aunty Lorraine Parson’s reflections on a Social Work Career and Aboriginal Identity
Aunty Lorraine Parsons, who identifies with her mother’s Alyawarr country, shared her professional and personal ‘Reflections on a Social Work Career and Aboriginal Identity.’
Aunty Lorraine did not learn about her own Aboriginality from her mother, who was fearful of having her daughter taken away from her and had no connection to community. It was only when she went to university, became a social worker and when the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report was released in 1997, that she started to enquire about her identity and story.
As a social worker in Alice Springs, she developed a strong connection to the community. People knew of her grandmother and mother and she finally learnt what had happened to them.
Throughout her career, Aunty Lorraine nurtured relationships and forged connections; created safe spaces to tell stories and have difficult conversations; improved communication and built trust between communities, doctors and child protection workers; called out racism and advocated for change in policy. In these many ways she has worked tirelessly to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and helped them to heal.
Conference attendees also enjoyed a special appearance by the Ngankari Traditional Healers Norma Baker, Jennifer Mitchell, Rene Kulitja, and Pantjiti Lewis, who generously shared their insights with the attendees.
Uncle Herb Patten delighted everyone with his gum leaf-playing performance and shared reflections of a ‘suburban Koori’ and Yorta Yorta life coach Yolanda Finette introduced practices of ‘Mulana Alchemy: Weaving Radical Self-Care with First Nations Wisdom’ to attendees to provide practical strategies to care for themselves, as they work with individuals and community and Urmi Dhagat presented on the Melbourne Indigenous Research Accelerator (MIRA) Program.
Faculty Indigenous leaders Professor Sandra Eades and Associate Professor Shawana Andrews presented on ‘Dhoombak Goobgoowana, A history of Indigenous Australia and the University of Melbourne’, which was released earlier this year and Professor Sean Taylor, Director of Onemda, shared his career journey with the group.