Communicating for Community Workshop
With support provided by the Maali Hub of the OCHRe Network, the Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health ran a one-day workshop of practical communications skills for Indigenous PhD scholars.
Focused on developing communication skills for Indigenous PhD scholars working in health and wellbeing, the workshop sessions included
- the importance of communicating the work we do as Indigenous researchers,
- how and why we share our work,
- how sharing work can lead to positive outcomes for communities, and
- help to make our work more relevant across contexts, and translating research for different forums, including picking the right forum for your purpose.
The day began with a Welcome to Country by Uncle Andrew Gardiner, and was followed by an Introduction and Considerations for Community and communicating research by Professor Shawana Andrews.
Professor Sean Taylor, Director of Onemda: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing and Professor of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, facilitated a session on Understanding community need in research communication.
Madi Day, Murri researcher and lecturer who works in the Department of Critical Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University facilitated a session on The importance of communicating our work and how it can affect change, which was followed by lunch with the Lowitja Institute CEO, Paul Stewart.
Dr Tui Crumpen and PhD scholar Shani Crupen facilitated a session on Becoming Torres Strait Islander Diaspora.
This was followed by a yarn with Dr Cindy Blackstock. Dr Blackstock is a member of the Gitxsan First Nation, and honoured to serve as the Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society; a Professor at McGill University’s School of Social Work; and the Chancellor of Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
The workshop came to a close with Dr Emily Munro-Harrison wrapping up final discussions.
The group then attended the 2024 Narrm Oration, Djambatj Dhukarr – road to excellence delivered by Professor Yalmay Yunupiŋu.
In the 2024 Narrm Oration, Professor Yunupiŋu emphasised the importance of Indigenous peoples remaining strong in their language and cultural practices. Drawing on her own educational journey, her family and many years as an educator at the Yirrkala school, she reflected on ‘walking between two worlds’ and shared her deep commitment to mentoring current and future generations of Yolŋu leaders.
Left: Madi Day
Top middle: Lowitja CEO Paul Stewart
Top right: Dr Cindy Blackstock
Bottom middle: Dr Tui and Shani Crumpen
Bottom right: Professor Sean Taylor
About the Maali Hub
The Maali Hub is dedicated to supporting First Nations Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and early to mid-career researchers in Australia. Its primary objective is to elevate the representation of First Nations health researchers by providing support and guidance through scholarships and stipends and other capability building activities.
The Maali Hub empowers Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars to complete their studies, contributing to the advancement of First Nations health research. Operating within a collaborative network, it underscores the importance of collective efforts in achieving common objectives.
About OCHRe
OCHRe is a national network of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health researchers. We are developing the next generation of health research leaders, who are connected and supported to thrive in research and the academic world, while delivering health research outcomes that have a long-lasting impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities.