All My Relations: Building Connections in South Australia

By Taylor Wilson, 1st year MDP student

Before I start this blog post, I would first like to acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide region, where the SAHMRI building is located; I recognize the Kaurna peoples cultural, spiritual, physical and emotional connection with their land.  I honour and pay my respects to Kaurna elders, both past and present, and all generations of Kaurna people, now and into the future. I also pay respect to and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other parts of Australia, and their connection to country. I want to say thank you to the warm welcome I received from every single Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and non-Indigenous person I have met here and for allowing me to come to their home and work with them.  

SAHMRI building, Adelaide, South Australia

Six weeks into my placement at Wardliparingga, the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute’s (SAHMRI) Aboriginal Research Unit, and I can safely say that this group of people have exceeded all expectations I had for coming to work here. Thanks to Implementation Science theme leader, Dr. Natasha Howard, I have been exposed to the various projects and academics that make up the unit. From the Aboriginal Diabetes Study (the first and largest of its kind) to the Barngarla Language Project. Then you have incredible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars like Dr. Odette Pearson who works on understanding how policies and practices drive Indigenous health inequities; Dr.’s Karla and Kootsy Canuto who work in health promotion and Aboriginal men’s health (respectively); and theme leader, Dr. Alex Brown, an Aboriginal medical doctor who holds the unit together and pushes them to be the best Indigenous academics they can be. Not to mention all the incredibly talented up and coming young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are working tirelessly on these projects as research assistants, administrative assistants, project officers, and so on. It’s incredible to see a team so steadfast in their Indigeneity along with non-Indigenous team members so supportive of their Indigenous colleagues.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health, much like Indigenous health in Canada, is a vast sea of systemic issues and barriers, but the passion and fight that the Wardliparingga team has to make a difference and change the lives and circumstances of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ is inspiring and commendable.

Damper - traditional bread

When I first arrived, I have to say I was nervous. Being Indigenous, but from another part of the world, I wondered if I would feel as connected here as I do at home. Being connected to land and people is what keeps me grounded, so would I feel the same here? During National Reconciliation Week (May 27 - June 3, 2019), the theme was “Grounded in Truth, Walking Together with Courage,” with the underlying theme of relationship building and connecting in a shared understanding. As I got to know more people, had more conversations around who I was and who they were, I began to feel more connected. I learned that their connection to the land and their language was just as important as my own. I learned that health inequities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are incredibly similar to those we face in Canada and get to share insights and discuss Indigenous-led solutions. I got to share food with them and enjoy some traditional foods like damper (much like bannock from home), watch and listen to traditional Kaurna performances, and share stories of what it’s like being Indigenous where we are each from.

I am learning more than just the academic things I do at Wardliparingga. I am building more than just networks. I am only half way through my placement, and I am looking forward to what else I have to learn and sharing more of who I am with the people here.

Jack Buckskin and Dance Co. at the Gawler Reconciliation Event