The Gaawaadhi Gadudha logo artwork is by Laurance Magick Dennis. It represents the meeting of fresh (Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay) and salt (Yuin-Djirringanj) water. The horseshoe-like shapes are people sitting around a fire. The oval image at the centre is a coolamon (traditional carrying vessel). The dots around the image are ancestors looking on.

While we use the word ‘Aboriginal’ to explain the terminology of ‘the health gap’ in current research and policy, we would like to acknowledge it as a colonised term. We advocate for shifting to the use of cultural group names as identifiers. Where this is not possible, we use ‘Indigenous’.

Cultural health recognised in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific

Learn about our latest publication

We’re delighted to have published a special collection on Indigenous cultural health with The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific. This landmark publication in a prestigious global health journal is an opportunity for us to contribute to the growing body of Indigenous health literature.

At the heart of this collection is a compelling commentary based on a discussion between two of our Cultural Knowledge Holders. Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay man Ted Fields, originally from Walgett, NSW and Yuin-Djirringanj cultural leader and songman Warren Foster, from Wallaga Lake, NSW, discuss the nature of ‘the gap' in Indigenous health.

They powerfully argue that focusing on ‘the gap’, or deficits in Indigenous health, fails to account for the health-protective role of connection to Country in Indigenous people’s wellbeing. They argue:

“The most crucial ‘gap’ in maintaining and improving our cultural health, is authority, control, and unmitigated access to our Country—without this progress will remain stagnant.”

Their conversation underscores the urgent need for land rights, cultural knowledge-holder support, and policy that honours Indigenous ways of knowing and healing.

Cultural landscapes as spaces for healing

Two articles delve into the impact of cultural camps held in cultural landscapes. We understand cultural landscapes as natural sites minimally affected by colonisation. The camps, held on Yuwaalaraay, Gamilaraay and Yuin Djirringanj Country in 2022, provided immersive experiences in cultural lore, language, traditional foods and traditional medicine.

Through yarning circles, we gathered deep, qualitative insights coded collaboratively by Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. The camps proved to be powerful spaces for healing, kinship connection and cultural strength.

Image: Yuin-Djirringanj cultural knowledge holder Warren Foster collecting oysters (photo by Aryati Yashadhana)

Image: Maangi, Narran Lakes, Yuwaalaraay Country (photo by Anthony Zwi)

As one Yuin camp attendee powerfully expressed:

“Not being able to practice my culture, I don’t think I would be able to live because I would have no purpose here on Country. Because my culture is everything to me, it is my spiritual, it is my health, it is my mental capacity, it’s just everything that I live for.” (Yuin Women’s Circle)

Camps lead to improved quality of life

Another article in this volume offered a quantitative perspective on the effects of cultural camps, using surveys to track changes in participants’ cultural health, access to resources, resilience and health-related quality of life before and after attending.

Our post-camp questions revealed that 83.7% of attendees experienced an increase in their own sense of pride and identity. A remarkable 97.5% of people indicated that they experienced healing as a direct result of attending the camp.

Our fourth and final piece is a narrative literature review. This article explores the emerging concept of cultural health in Indigenous communities globally, but with a particular focus on New South Wales. We highlight how cultural identity, connection to Country and engagement in cultural practices serve as vital protective factors for wellbeing.

Key takeaways

This data offers strong preliminary evidence for Indigenous-led, strengths-based models of cultural health that can be adapted across different contexts. However, consistent barriers remain for Indigenous people in Australia: restricted access to Country, under-resourced cultural programs and lack of integration with mainstream health systems.

With these findings, we advocate for embedding cultural determinants into public health policy. We also want to see support for culturally-centred programs that directly integrate Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices.

Together, these articles reflect our commitment to reshaping health narratives through cultural strength. Being included in The Lancet is not just a research milestone—it’s a meaningful step toward making space for Indigenous voices to define and lead their own health futures.