Swinburne Indigenous Studies Group Seminar

Yindyanga Yanha Yindymarra: Cultural Safety and Ethical Research Practices

As Indigenous peoples our cultural connectedness is intertwined by oral histories and sharing knowledges from generation to generation. Present-day knowledge systems are interwoven with ways of being that has been handed down to us, continuing to bring life to our community narratives, maintaining connection to country and the customs, beliefs and values of our old people, our Elders and Ancestors. Knowledges are shared within families and communities and ensuring ‘ways of being, knowing and doing’ remain connected and protected in an ever-changing world. 

These knowledges and way of doing, though, have been the topic of research for many non-Indigenous researchers. Practices of knowledge appropriation from Indigenous nations still occur. It is vital when undertaking research with, in and for Indigenous communities researchers maintain cultural respect and ensure Cultural Safety. Cultural Safety being ingrained within ethical research practices, and the significant place of the performative aspects of research, can ensure Indigenous knowledge is protected within a research environment. 

Ethical research practices can in turn safeguard community expectations around the use of this knowledge and can continue to give an Indigenous voice to the need for research to be of value to our communities. Strengthening these mechanisms of ethical research, based on traditional value systems, creates a framework that embeds Cultural Competency within institutions and ensures Indigenous knowledges stay in Indigenous hands.

Wiradjuri Scholar, Dr. Sadie Heckenberg, is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Fellow in the Moondani Toombadool Centre. Sadie’s research focuses on Cultural Safety, protecting Indigenous spoken knowledge and ethical research frameworks. A Fulbright Scholar, Sadie holds a ministerial appointment on the Higher Education Standards Panel...more info