Current Projects
Birthing on Country; Research
The Australian National University along with Yalu Aboriginal Corporation have been working together with the community of Galiwun'ku to culturally repatriate 1,200 blood samples collected during the 1960s and 1970s after a typhoid outbreak.
Repatriation: bringing home the maŋgu samples
The Australian National University's National Centre for Indigenous Genomics (NCIG), along with Yalu Aboriginal Corporation have been working together with the community of Galiwin'ku to culturally repatriate around 1,200 blood samples collected during the 1960s and 1970s after a typhoid outbreak.
Consultation began in 2018 between NCIG, Yalu and the people of Galiwin’ku on a joint plan for the future management and use of the samples. In November 2019, NCIG, Yalu and the community facilitated the return of these samples to community, country and families. NCIG and Yalu continue to work together to explore the best ways to support the Galiwin'ku community to engage in genomic research on their terms and for their benefit.
“Waka Ngurrkanhayngu: Regenerating the existence of life”:
Reducing the risk of natural and social disasters - reviving and strengthening Indigenous law, culture and governance in remote Indigenous communities.
This project aims to bring together western and Yolŋu worldviews and knowledge to support Yolŋu in Galiwin'ku to reduce the risk of natural events resulting in environmental, social and cultural disasters.
The project works from the perspective that Yolŋu knowledge and practices are key to healing the causes of disasters and adapting to climate change. The first stage of this project involved Yolŋu and University of Canberra (and other research partners) researchers speaking with Yolŋu in Galiwin'ku in 2020 and sharing these findings with relevant Government representatives. The second stage is running in 2022.
Dharaŋanamirr dhukarr guŋgayunaraw djamarrkuliw ga gurrutumirriw marŋgikunharaw ḏälkunharaw gakalwun dhiyakun marrmaw’nha romgun.
Understanding pathways to support Yolŋu children and families to achieve strong learning in two systems.
This project is a collaboration between the northern institute at CDU and galiwinku researchers.
We want to find out the best ways to support Yolŋu children in Galiwin’ku to be learning well in two worlds – a Yolŋu world and a Balanda education world.
Yolŋu have strong knowledge and skills from Yolŋu culture and languages. Balanda systems also have their own cultures and languages. Balanda need to recognise the skills and knowledge of Yolŋu children and families. Yolŋu also want to understand the Balanda education system. If we recognise and understand each other we will be able to work together to support Yolŋu children so they can be strong in two education pathways.
This project aims to build better understanding between Yolŋu and Balanda about both systems of education. We want to find out how to connect the education pathways so Yolŋu children can be strong in two worlds.
1
Mapping Digital Inclusion and Media Use for Informed Decision-Making in Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities
People who live in Australia's 1100 remote Indigenous communities are thought to face the most barriers to accessing digital services in Australia.
At the same time, people in these communities are required to interact with increasingly automated digital services for health, education and social services. Access to affordable communication services and accessible sources of news and information are also essential.
The need to address this inequity has been recognized in one of the new Closing the Gap Targets (2020, Target 17). Researchers at RMIT have come together with 10 remote First Nations communities for four years (2021 -2024) to find out about their experience with digital technology and services.
Yalu began a partnership with RMIT in 2021 and are supporting the researchers to engage with Yolŋu living in Galwin'ku. Any community members who want to talk to Yalu about their experience should feel free to contact us.
2
University of Melbourne – Antibiotic Resistance project
Yalu has been working along side a PhD candidate from the University of Melbourne to support her work to research the issue of Antibiotic Resistance. The project is investigating the bacteria that dogs have to see whether they have become resistant to antibiotic medicine. Yalu researchers have helped with the first stage of this project since 2021, and are supporting the researcher to explore the next step.
3
Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation -Nutrition project
In 2021 Miwatj Aboriginal Health Corporation approached Yalu to support with the collection of community perspectives on nutrition. This includes thoughts about local food production, community priorities for nutrition, and the barriers and oportunities to good health relating to nutrition in Galiwin'ku.
These stories from the community will support Miwatj to develop a Galiwin'ku specific Food Security and Nutrition Strategy. Yalu has worked along side Miwatj staff to undertake community consultaiton throughout 2021 and 2022.
4
Footprints in time
Footprints in time is an initiative of the Australian Government. It is a longitudinal study that has been running since 2008 and involves researchers speaking with the same children and their families each year.
This study looks at young people's development, health, their hopes and dreams and the things happening around them. Yalu has been involved in supporting these surveys for many years. Due to COVID-19, since 2020 Yalu researchers have done more work to help the Footprints In Time staff to link up with families.
