Yilum: Cultural Continuity and Wellness Among Woppaburra Women: A Model for Recovery, Rediscovery, Reconnection, Regeneration, Resilience, and Resurgence (the 6Rs)

Colonialism in Australia imposed patriarchal systems, Christianity, and European gender norms onto Aboriginal societies, destabilising the historically balanced status and roles of men and women within these communities. Western notions of gender disrupted the intrinsic dynamics, exacerbating the erosion of revered leadership roles fulfilled by Aboriginal women. Biased historical narratives, discriminatory policies, and stereotypical media portrayals have contributed to an enduring narrative of subjugation. Aboriginal women have borne the brunt of intersecting forms of discrimination rooted in both gender and ethnicity.

Systematic racism, legalised oppression, sexism, disconnection from ancestral lands, family fragmentation, removal of children, and family violence contribute to the social disadvantage and poor health status of Aboriginal women today.

While there is a substantial body of research on Aboriginal holistic views of health, including social and emotional well-being, there is a significant gap in examining gendered perspectives on health, specifically women's connection with the land and cultural practices, such as women's business, as mechanisms for improving Aboriginal women's health and well-being.

Woppaburra women, like other Indigenous women in Australia, have not escaped the degradation, dislocation, disconnection, and disempowerment at the hands of European men during the colonial occupation of their ancestral lands. Historical and contemporary publications regarding Woppaburra people lack information about Woppaburra women, furthering their misrepresentation and marginalisation. Consequently, Woppaburra women find themselves disregarded and discarded, forced into a position of invisibility within the Australian social and historical context. It is imperative to acknowledge that gender blindness exists within the social, historical and literary psyche of Australians, and the need to commit to rectifying past injustices by privileging the knowledge, experiences, and voices of Woppaburra women is necessary.

This research is grounded in cultural respect, responsiveness, reciprocity, and the empowerment of Woppaburra women. Employing an Indigenist research framework, specifically Martin and Mirraboopa's Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing (2003) and using culturally responsive knowledge collection methods and tools, fostering a more genuine and profound exploration of their knowledge, experiences and voices. Primary source knowledge was collected using a Yarning Mat and Yarning Cards specifically developed to facilitate Yarn-Ups (semi-structured interviews), yarning circles, and on-country activities. The research applied a culturally informed approach to knowledge analysis, conceptualising it as Relational Reciprocity (RR) to guarantee that the interpretation and meaning derived from the knowledge collected was conducted with cultural appropriateness.

A purposeful sample of female Elders from the five Woppaburra family groupings spanning five generations participated in three interdependent cycles of knowledge collection. Using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach maximised the agency of Woppaburra women in reclaiming and preserving their leadership role and cultural identity throughout the research process. PAR represents plan, observe, reflect, and act. This culminated in a decisive change in research direction and scope that addressed their needs and research outcomes.

Through their collective affirmation, Woppaburra women validated the fundamental cultural domains within the Woppaburra worldview. These domains include Country and spirituality, Lore and ceremony, family and kinship, men's and women's business, totems, art, dance and song, language, relationship entities like weather, flora and fauna, food, medicines, and implements.

The women affirmed the cultural significance of Woppaburra's Ways of Knowing, Being and Doing and articulated an unwavering desire to be empowered to pass on this knowledge to future generations. Cultural continuity emerged as the overarching theme and priority for Woppaburra women. The research findings delineate six distinct domains capturing the essence of cultural continuity for Woppaburra women: rediscovery, recovery, reconnection, regeneration, resilience, and resurgence. Articulating their understanding of wellness, Woppaburra women defined it as a holistic state encompassing the fundamental domains of the Woppaburra worldview and ways of knowing, being, and doing. This encompassing perspective fosters well-being across physical, spiritual, social, emotional, and environmental wellness, individually and collectively.