Aboriginal Groups Research Articles

Aboriginal Interactions with the Overland Telegraph Line, 1870–1880

Aboriginal interactions with the Overland Telegraph Line, along its 3000 kilometres, were never uniform. The Line passed through at least twenty Aboriginal territories; when construction commenced, fewer than half of those groups had met Europeans. Aboriginal people in the northern and southern sections had experienced some contact, while only Stuart and his small band had passed through the central section. Archival records concerning the Line’s construction and its first years of operation reveal a consistent pattern of engagement: an initial phase of avoidance and fear followed by direct confrontation and engagement, often by the same Aboriginal group. In both cases, the trigger was not necessarily the white man’s presence per se, but the unprecedented temptation of large amounts of a new and extraordinary resource, metal. Prudently, Charles Todd issued instructions minimising fraternisation, which repressed the growing appeal of European commodities and material; armed parties attacked three telegraph stations during the mid-1870s. A pax Britannica gradually ensued. This paper focuses upon the first ten years of Aboriginal interactions, proposing a sequence of dynamic engagement with Europeans, prefiguring the subsequent tightening control and dispossession of local Aboriginal groups along the length of the Line.

Differences in body fractionation between indigenous and non-indigenous chilean schoolchildren

Introduction: The Mapuche is the most represented ethnic group (79.84%) among the eight native peoples of the Chilean indigenous population, however research examining body composition of aboriginal groups is scarce, including the Mapuche. Objective: To determine anthropometric and body fractionation differences between indigenous (Mapuche) and non-indigenous students in Chile. Methods: The sample included 151 indigenous students and 217 non-indigenous male students. Body fractionation was estimated using the protocol described by the International Society for the advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to estimate the statistical significance of differences between variables. Results: Mapuche children showed lower values for body weight (p < 0.01), height (p < 0.01) and all skinfolds, body perimeters and bone diameters evaluated compared to non-Mapuche, except for forearm circumference (p < 0.05) and transverse chest diameter (p < 0.05). Regarding body composition, the native students presented lower values of fat mass (p < 0.001), residual mass (p < 0.05) and epithelial mass (p < 0.05). However, they reach higher percentages for muscle mass (p < 0.01) and bone mass (p < 0.05) than non-indigenous students. Conclusions: Mapuche students present better scores for muscle and bone mass, while showing lower percentages of residual fat and epithelial mass with respect to non-Mapuche students from the same area of residence.

Cinema’s Cosmic Shifts

Cinema’s Cosmic Shifts

Research of the Kola Peninsula Complex Expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences 1928 – 1934: towards the Knowledge of Natural resources and Traditional Culture of the Russian Arctic

The historical analysis of the research carried out during 1928-1934 within the framework of the Kola peninsula expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences is presented. The initial boundary is due to the creation of the expedition, the final one is due to its reformatting into a stationary structure – the Kola base of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The sources for the preparation of the article are archival materials identified by the authors from the Archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences, published expedition reports, as well as scientific literature prepared based on the results of the research under consideration. It is noted that the drivers of the Kola complex expedition were both purely cognitive interest and the needs of industrial development of high latitudes. The work carried out made it possible to show significant activity of researchers in studying the natural resources of the Kola Peninsula, identifying promising mineral deposits, determining various patterns of their distribution and searching for the optimal development methodology. Along with this, a certain place in the work of the expedition was given to other areas of research, both related to ensuring the possibility of developing the extractive industry (geocryological, partly ecological and biological), and having an indirect connection with this problem. In this regard, the importance of conducting research within the expedition aimed, among other things, at studying the traditional culture of the aboriginal ethnic groups of the Kola Peninsula is noted.

Effectiveness of Foot reflexology on level of fatigue among peripheral neuropathy, patient with Tuberculosis

Background: In India, Tuberculosis has been mentioned in the Vedas and the old Ayurvedic scriptures. Historically speaking, fight against Tuberculosis in India can be broadly classified into three periods: early period, before the discoveries of x-ray and chemotherapy; post-independence period, during which nationwide Tuberculosis control programs were initiated and implemented; and the current period, during which the ongoing WHO-assisted Tuberculosis control program is in place. Tuberculosis incidence is seasonal, with peaks occurring every spring and summer. The reasons for this are unclear, but may be related to vitamin D deficiency during the winter. There are also studies linking tuberculosis to different weather conditions like low temperature, low humidity and low rainfall. It has been suggested that tuberculosis incidence rates may be connected to climate change Tuberculosis is closely linked to both overcrowding and malnutrition, making it one of the principal diseases of poverty. Those at high risk thus include: people who inject illicit drugs, inhabitants and employees of locales where vulnerable people gather (e.g., prisons and homeless shelters), medically underprivileged and resource-poor communities, high-risk ethnic minorities, children in close contact with high-risk category patients, and health-care providers serving these patients. Factors contributing to this include higher prevalence of predisposing health conditions and behaviours, and overcrowding and poverty. In some Canadian aboriginal groups, genetic susceptibility may play a role. Methods: Quasi-experimental design (one group pre-test post-test design) was recruited by non-probability purposive sampling technique used for the present study. Necessary administrative permission was obtained from the concerned authority. The Structured interview schedule was used to elicit the baseline data. Result: The study revealed that among 180 Tuberculosis patients, the Chalder Fatigue scale pre-median was 27.0, Post-test I median was 14.0, and whereas post-test II median was 7.0. In Michigan Neuropathy scale pre-median was 15.0, the post-test I median was 14.0, and post-test II median was 7.0. Conclusion:-The study concluded that the foot reflexology of anti-tuberculosis drug-induced peripheral neuropathy among Tuberculosis patients from selected community area, Ramanagara Taluk & District, Karnataka carried out the study was found to be effective in decreasing the fatigue levels among peripheral neuropathy in person with Tuberculosis patients as evidenced by the significant change between pre-test and post-test scores.

VOICE–Validating Outcomes by Including Consumer Experience: A Study Protocol to Develop a Patient Reported Experience Measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Accessing Primary Health Care

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' (hereafter respectfully referred to as Indigenous Australians) experiences of health care are shaped by historical, social and cultural factors, with cultural security critical to effective care provision and engagement between services and community. Positive patient experiences are associated with better health outcomes. Consequently, it is an accreditation requirement that primary health care (PHC) services must formally gather and respond to patient feedback. However, currently available patient feedback tools were not developed with Indigenous Australians, and do not reflect their values and world views. Existing tools do not capture important experiences of care of Indigenous Australians in PHC settings, nor return information that assists services to improve care. Consistent with the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty, we will co-design and validate an Indigenous-specific Patient Reported Experience Measure (PREM) that produces data by and for community, suitable for use in quality improvement in comprehensive PHC services. This paper presents the protocol of the study, outlining the rationale, methodologies and associated activities that are being applied in developing the PREM. Briefly, guided by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group, our team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, service providers and policy makers will use a combination of Indigenous methodologies, participatory, and traditional western techniques for scale development. We will engage PHC service staff and communities in eight selected sites across remote, regional, and metropolitan communities in Australia for iterative cycles of data collection and feedback throughout the research process. Yarning Circles with community members will identify core concepts to develop an "Experience of Care Framework", which will be used to develop items for the PREM. Staff members will be interviewed regarding desirable characteristics and feasibility considerations for the PREM. The PREM will undergo cognitive and psychometric testing.

A geographical analysis of the dendroflora of Cheboksary in the greening system of the city

The paper presents the results of the geographical analysis of the dendroflora of Cheboksary. The landscaping system of Cheboksary is represented mainly by woody vegetation, which grows in public areas, in limited-use plantings, as well as along the streets and main highways of Cheboksary. Woody vegetation is represented by 73 species, which, according to the generally accepted systematics of plants, belong to 43 genera and 20 families. The geographical analysis of the dendroflora of Cheboksary is based on archaeological data from various reports. In the dendroflora of Cheboksary, 7 groups of the area have been identified, depending on their natural distribution: 1) aboriginal group, 2) cultural group, 3) hybrid group, 4) North American group, 5) East Asian group, 6) Mediterranean group, 7) European group. The dendroflora of Cheboksary is dominated by introducents, which account for 44 species. The most numerous of the introducers is the East Asian group, which makes up 41% of the total, the North American and European groups 25% each, the Mediterranean group 9%. The geographical composition of the dendroflora, depending on the element of the system of green spaces, showed that the largest number of introducers were identified in public plantings, which were represented by 40 species of trees and shrubs, in limiteduse plantings 29 species, along streets and main roads 28 species. The analysis of the dendroflora by the ratio of hygromorphs has revealed that mesophytes predominate in the dendroflora of Cheboksary 54,7%, xerophytes 17,8%, mesoxerophytes 12,3%.

Co-Constructed Talent Development as a Realisation of Ganma: A Talent Development Model for Gifted Aboriginal (Yolŋu) Students

Australian Aboriginal learners have a long history of underrepresentation in gifted and talented education. This results, at least in part, from cultural differences in the way giftedness is understood, as well as variance in the practices and processes used to develop talents. Perhaps a co-constructed both-ways model could go some way to addressing this issue. The Ganma metaphor provides a useful framework for understanding how both-ways models are conceptualised by the Yolŋu (an Australian Aboriginal group). Ganma is described as the point where two distinct tributaries, one salt water (representing non-Aboriginal knowledge) and the other fresh water (representing Aboriginal knowledge), come together to form a lagoon. The streams churn together to create a new body of water with its own distinct habitat. This article presents a both-ways talent development model that draws on the principles of Ganma in an effort to support gifted Yolŋu youth. Three Elders and three teachers worked together to co-construct the features of the model, and this collaboration ensured that both Yolŋu (Aboriginal) and non-Yolŋu (school-based) understandings of giftedness and talent development are reflected across the model’s various components. In essence, the both-ways nature of this model allows it to realise the new habitat that sits at the heart of the Ganma metaphor.

Marra philosophies of stone, and the stone artefacts of Walanjiwurru 1 rockshelter, Marra Country, northern Australia

• Marra Australian Aboriginal philosophies guide archaeological research. • Stone artefacts are embedded within Marra relational philosophies and politics. • Stone ‘raw materials’ are potent ancestral substances. • Access to powerful Marra ancestral quarries changed through time. • Lithic analyses of Marra stone artefacts reveal changing social worlds. In archaeology, investigations into the social and cultural contexts of stone artefacts have largely focused on their typological styles, manufacturing technologies, functions, geographic distributions and the significance of the quarries they come from. Yet what is oftentimes overlooked is the deeper contemporary understandings by Indigenous groups of the stone artefacts recovered from excavations. In this paper, we analyse an assemblage of 9,642 excavated stone artefacts from the rockshelter site of Walanjiwurru 1 in Marra Country in northern Australia, in light of the cosmological significance of regional stone sources to local Aboriginal groups. Each recovered stone artefact, and the quarries of their raw materials, is laden with meanings that help reveal how Marra Aboriginal people socially and cosmologically engaged with their landscape. By combining archaeological and Marra cultural perspectives, we argue that subtle variations in the range of stones and their relational characteristics signal changing political engagements with ancestral places over the past 2300 years.

"Children of the Tundra": State Policy and Social Mobility in the North of Yakutia in the 1960s – 1980s.

The purpose of the presented research is to highlight the results of the social policy of the Soviet state in the ethno-cultural development of the indigenous population of the Arctic regions of Yakutia. It is revealed that the new socio-cultural environment that emerged as a result of the industrialization of the Arctic region, as a whole, contributed to the improvement of the general cultural and educational level of the indigenous population and revealed new opportunities for the realization of its aspirations. During this period, conditions began to develop for the formation of the intelligentsia of the northern aboriginal ethnic groups, some representatives of which became prominent figures of culture, science and literature. Their fates are an interesting example of the implementation of the life strategies of the ethnic elite, which subsequently played a major role in the socio-political history of the region. The methodological basis of the article was the historical method of analysis of archival data, periodicals and scientific literature related to the research topic. The use of historical-comparative, historical-systemic and biographical methods made it possible to analyze socio-economic and cultural processes in the Yakut ASSR. The result of the study was the identification of the main factors that contributed to the formation of the intelligentsia of the small peoples of the North in the 1960s and 1980s, which played an important role in their social development. It is noted that the expansion of the education and training network in the republic has allowed for the mass education of young generations of Northerners, and the growth in the number of people with incomplete and completed secondary education has opened up opportunities for professionalization. Access to vocational education against the background of the processes of urbanization of the Arctic territories, their integration into the common cultural and educational space of the country had a decisive influence on the formation of the intelligentsia of the indigenous peoples of the North. For the first time, based on the materials of Yakutia, the assessment of the state policy on the formation of "national cadres" from northern national minorities was undertaken through the prism of real personal biographies.

Tracing Bai-Yue Ancestry in Aboriginal Li People on Hainan Island.

As the most prevalent aboriginal group on Hainan Island located between South China and the mainland of Southeast Asia, the Li people are believed to preserve some unique genetic information due to their isolated circumstances, although this has been largely uninvestigated. We performed the first whole-genome sequencing of 55 Hainan Li (HNL) individuals with high coverage (∼30–50×) to gain insight into their genetic history and potential adaptations. We identified the ancestry enriched in HNL (∼85%) is well preserved in present-day Tai-Kadai speakers residing in South China and North Vietnam, that is, Bai-Yue populations. A lack of admixture signature due to the geographical restriction exacerbated the bottleneck in the present-day HNL. The genetic divergence among Bai-Yue populations began ∼4,000–3,000 years ago when the proto-HNL underwent migration and the settling of Hainan Island. Finally, we identified signatures of positive selection in the HNL, some outstanding examples included FADS1 and FADS2 related to a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, we observed that malaria-driven selection had occurred in the HNL, with population-specific variants of malaria-related genes (e.g., CR1) present. Interestingly, HNL harbors a high prevalence of malaria leveraged gene variants related to hematopoietic function (e.g., CD3G) that may explain the high incidence of blood disorders such as B-cell lymphomas in the present-day HNL. The results have advanced our understanding of the genetic history of the Bai-Yue populations and have provided new insights into the adaptive scenarios of the Li people.

Fuel sources, natural vegetation and subsistence at a high-altitude aboriginal settlement in Tenerife, Canary Islands: Microcontextual geoarchaeological data from Roques de García Rockshelter

High-altitude island environments, with their characteristic strong seasonal contrast and limited resources, are challenging contexts for human subsistence. However, although archaeological contexts in this kind of setting hold great potential to explore the diversity of human biological and cultural adaptations, such sites are rare. In this paper, we present the results of a microcontextual geoarchaeological study carried out at Roques de García Rockshelter, the highest altitude cave archaeological site in the Canary Islands (Spain). The site was inhabited by the aboriginal population of the island and has yielded a rich archaeological context derived from combustion activity. We carried out soil micromorphology to characterize site function and lipid biomarker analysis to investigate the natural and anthropogenic organic record. Our data indicate that the aboriginal groups that occupied the site kept goats with them (in the rockshelter) and probably used Juniperus turbinata (sabina) wood, a current distant fuel source. These results suggest that the aboriginal societies of Tenerife occupied the highlands regularly, taking their herds and firewood with them. Further research is necessary to explore the use and exploitation of fuel sources, the seasonality of these occupations and their differences with lowland sites.

Своеобразие субэтнических групп ненцев по генетическим детерминантам метаболизма сахарозы, трегалозы и лактозы

Introduction. The diet of indigenous northerners is changing significantly on account of the rapid growth in volume and variety of consummated food sugars. Concurrently, an arrow of northern aboriginal groups are known to have an increased percentage of genetically determined disorders of disaccharide metabolism. The study aimed to assess the polymorphism of genes and alleles that determine production or activity of sucrase-isomaltase, trehalase and lactase enzymes in the groups of Nenets of Western Siberia and European Arctic. Materials and methods. The genotyping of the samples of biomaterial from 236 unrelated individuals formed the basis of the study. We analyzed the genotype and allele frequencies of the SI (rs781470490), TREH (rs2276064) and LCT (rs4988235) genes in the groups of Forest, Gydan, Yamal and European Tundra Nenets. Results. There were not a single sample with the AG dinucleotide deletion at the rs781470490 locus of the sucrase-isomaltase gene (SI gene) found. The TREH allele distributions appeared to be extremely close in all the sub-ethnic groups of Nenets. The frequency of the associated with trehalase deficiency A*TREH allele in the Nenets groups is at 0.25-0.26, which is significantly higher than in the non-arctic populations of Russia (0.01-0.06). We have confirmed a high prevalence in the Nenets populations of the CC*LCT variant of the lactase gene, which determines the limited production of the enzyme. The frequencies of the genotype vary in the Nenets sub-groups from 0.90 in the Gydan and European Tundra Nenets to 0.70 in the Forest (the difference from the European Tundra group is significant at the level of p = 0.06) and 0.65 in the Yamal Nenets (significantly differ from both the Gydan and European Tundra groups, p < 0.05). Conclusion. The difference in metabolism-related gene complexes can be found not only between peoples, but even between sub-ethnic groups.

Reflections on working and walking gently together in collaboration and partnership in Aboriginal ageing research.

An important aspect of the work that takes place in and across our Aboriginal Health and Ageing research group is about building partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous people. Partnerships are created between colleagues and co-researchers as well as with community Elders, Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, community groups and associations and individuals. To fully realise this has required an introspective look at the way we function as a team of Aboriginal researchers and non-Indigenous researchers working together. It has challenged us to explore and determine our shared visions and shared outcomes and to develop strong, enduring and authentic partnerships by putting culture at the centre of everything we do. This wisdom-led approach has fostered the development of a shared narrative about research WITH Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and a shared language of research collaboration. This paper aims to provide an opportunity to reflect on the key elements of co-design which have underpinned our work together across cultures both within team and within community. This paper will provide lived examples of the co-design and co-creation process utilised by our team in working with community. It will further share a model which underpins these experiences. It provides a framework to refer to and reflect upon, which commits to working with shared respect, shared meaning, shared knowledge and an enriched experience of collaboratively working and walking and learning together.

Diversity of Mitochondrial DNA Variants within Okunevo Culture Carriers from the Syda V Burial Ground (Minusinsk Basin)

Purpose. Despite a long study, the problem of the Okunevo population origin remains unresolved, including the level of participation of autochthonous and possible migrant groups in the formation of its genetic composition. The purpose of this article is to obtain new data on the mitochondrial DNA diversity in the Okunevo population, in particular in a series of samples from the Syda V burial ground, and also to interpret these new paleogenetic results in the light of possible mechanisms for the formation of specific features of the Okunevo gene pool.Results. We successfully analyzed structure, phylogeny and phylogeography of 25 new mitochondrial DNA samples from the burial grounds of the Okunevo culture of the Minusinsk basin. The study made it possible to almost double the total number of successfully studied Okunevo mtDNA samples. The series of samples we studied from the Syda V burial ground (N = 23) is the first high representative local-territorial series of mtDNA samples for the Okunev population of the region. The new results and literature data are discussed in the context of the problem of the formation of the Okunevo population`s genetic composition and its role in the further genetic history of the southern regions of Siberia.Conclusion. The main role in the formation of the Okunev population were played by genetic elements of autochthonous origin associated with the aboriginal pre-Afanasievo groups. Possible role of migrants remains unclear and requires further research using paleogenetic methods.

Does Group Contact Shape Styles of Pictorial Representation? A Case Study of Australian Rock Art.

Image-making is a nearly universal human behavior, yet the visual strategies and conventions to represent things in pictures vary greatly over time and space. In particular, pictorial styles can differ in their degree of figurativeness, varying from intersubjectively recognizable representations of things to very stylized and abstract forms. Are there any patterns to this variability, and what might its ecological causes be? Experimental studies have shown that demography and the structure of interaction of cultural groups can play a key role: the greater the degree of contact with other groups, the more recognizable and less abstract are the representations. Here we test this hypothesis on a real-world dataset for the first time. We constructed a balanced database of Indigenous Australian rock art motifs from both isolated and contact Aboriginal groups (those often in contact with other groups). We then ran a survey asking participants to judge the recognizability of the motifs and to provide interpretations. Results show that motifs from contact Aboriginal groups were more likely to be judged as inter-subjectively recognizable and also elicited more convergent descriptions than motifs from isolated groups. This is consistent with the idea that intergroup contact is likely to be an important factor in the cultural evolution of pictorial representation. We discuss the implications of these findings for the archaeology and anthropology of art, and the parallels with language evolution.

Co-design with aboriginal and torres strait islander communities: A journey.

This paper explores the principles of co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by reflecting on the literature, learning from experiences of allied health professionals, and considering how co-design can be applied in rural and remote allied health practice. This paper has been authored by a working group from Services for Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH). SARRAH is a member-based allied health organisation, working to improve health outcomes for rural and remote Australians. SARRAH has been representing and supporting allied health professionals in rural and remote Australia for over 20 years, with a member base that includes students, practitioners, programme managers, policy makers and academics. As a non-Indigenous organisation, SARRAH works in partnership and receives guidance from the peak organisation, Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA). Over a period of 3 months, a group of eleven SARRAH members and staff came together to review available literature, seek member perspectives and share their experiences and understandings of co-design. Working group discussions were grounded in the knowledge and experiences shared by two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander group members. This paper proposes that successful co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities places legitimate value on different knowledge systems, is built on strong and trusting relationships, promotes inclusive involvement and requires authentic partnerships. Using these principles, SARRAH will engage with members and stakeholders to influence meaningful change in allied health practice in rural and remote Australia.

Developing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural indicators: an overview from Mayi Kuwayu, the National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing

BackgroundFor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culture is foundational to health and wellbeing. However, its inherent conceptual complexity and diversity across and within different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural groups means that it has rarely been explored in depth by epidemiological research. As a result, there are very few measures which adequately represent the heterogeneity and importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for health and wellbeing. Tools grounded in the social determinants of health are mostly based on European academic opinion about what constitutes culture and wellbeing, and the views of Indigenous peoples are rarely included. Mayi Kuwayu, the National Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing, developed a new survey tool based on health and wellbeing as perceived by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This paper describes several of the key processes used to identify cultural domains and develop questionnaire items for the survey tool, reflecting the importance of culture to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.MethodsFocus groups were conducted at community organisations and conferences with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These sessions were aimed at identifying key cultural domains to be addressed by the Mayi Kuwayu questionnaire and to field test drafts of the questionnaire, which were then modified according to focus group feedback and expert input.ResultsExtensive community consultations allowed us to identify key cultural domains, generate questionnaire items, and test initial content validity. The six overarching cultural domains identified during the development of the Mayi Kuwayu questionnaire were: Connection to Country; Beliefs and knowledge; Language; Family, kinship, and community; Cultural expression and continuity; and Self-determination and leadership.ConclusionsThe processes used by Mayi Kuwayu have generated meaningful cultural items for use in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing research. Further assessment of these processes, including a comparison with best practice guidelines and psychometric testing of the items and scales developed, will be conducted in a future program of work.

Listening for futures along Birrarung Marr: speculative immersive experience in environmental education

AbstractThis paper considers experiences of speculative immersion as artists and children map the multilayered sonic ecology of Birrarung Marr, a traditional meeting place for Aboriginal language groups of the Eastern Kulin Nation. We explore how speculative practices of immersion shaped the mapping of precolonial, contemporary, and future soundscapes of Birrarung Marr, and the ceremonial burial of these sonic cartographies for future listeners. Bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous concepts of immersion in mutually respectful and purposeful conversation, we work to re-theorise immersive experience as a process of ecological multiplicity and affective resonance, rather than one of phenomenological containment. By approaching immersion as both a concept and a sensation that ruptures the boundary between body and environment, we follow how immersion ‘drifts’ across porous thresholds of sensing, thinking, dreaming, making, and knowing in situated environmental education contexts. In doing so, the paper stresses the importance of speculative immersive experience in cultivating liveable urban futures under conditions of climate change, and responds to the need for new understandings of immersion that take more-than-human ecologies of experience into account.

Laying the foundations of community engagement in Aboriginal health research: establishing a community reference group and terms of reference in a novel research field

BackgroundCommunity engagement or community involvement in Aboriginal health research is a process that involves partnering, collaborating and involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or potential research participants to empower them to have a say in how research with Aboriginal communities is conducted. In the context of Aboriginal health, this is particularly important so that researchers can respond to the priorities of the community under study and conduct research in a way that is respectful of Aboriginal cultural values and beliefs. One approach to incorporating the principals of community engagement and to ensure cultural oversight and guidance to projects is to engage a community reference group. The aim of this study was to describe the process of establishing an Aboriginal community reference group and terms of reference. The community reference group was established to guide the research activities of a newly formed research collaboration aiming to to develop osteoarthritis care that meets the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia.MethodsAdopting a Participatory Action Research approach, this two-phase study was conducted in Victoria, Australia. In phase one, semi-structured research yarns (a cultural form of conversation used as a data gathering tool) were conducted collaboratively by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal co-investigators to explore Aboriginal health stakeholder perspectives on establishing a community reference group and terms of reference. In phase two, recommendations in phase one were identified to invite members to participate in the community reference group and to ratify the terms of reference through a focus group. Data were analyzed using a framework analysis approach.ResultsThirteen people (eight female, four male) participated in phase one. Participants represented diverse professional backgrounds including physiotherapy, nursing, general practice, health services management, hospital liaison, cultural safety education, health research and the arts. Three themes were identified in phase one; Recruitment and Representation (trust and relationships, in-house call-outs, broad-spectrum expertise and Aboriginal majority); Purpose (community engagement, research steering, knowledge dissemination and advocacy) and; Function and Logistics (frequency and format of meetings, size of group, roles and responsibilities, authority, communication and dissemination). In phase two, six Aboriginal people were invited to become members of the community reference group who recommended changes which were incorporated into the seven domains of the terms of reference.ConclusionThe findings of this study are captured in a 10-step framework which describes practical strategies for establishing a community reference group and terms of reference in Aboriginal health research.