Refugees and Indigenous Australians forge common bonds

Description

 This article draws on research led by Dr Madison Shakespeare (Gadigal Traditional Owner, Western Sydney University) in collaboration with Settlement Services International (SSI), documented in a multi-site report examining refugee resettlement through YarnCountry onCountry workshops in Kingston (QLD), Armidale and Bankstown (NSW), and Melbourne (VIC). The workshops engaged refugee participants with Indigenous cultural protocols, Welcome to Country ceremonies, yarning, and place-based activities, generating insights into the role of Indigenous knowledge in fostering safety, belonging, and cultural continuity.

Subject

 Within this research context, the article focuses on Elias Elias, an Ezidi refugee and survivor of ISIS ethnic cleansing, exploring his experiences of participating in the workshops. Using Indigenous research methodologies, it highlights how Elias’s engagement with Indigenous knowledge fostered reflection on displacement, belonging, and shared experiences of systemic dispossession. His story illustrates the potential of Indigenous-led, place-based workshops to bridge refugee and Indigenous perspectives, enhance cross-cultural understanding, and support social cohesion in multicultural Australia.