Abstract
Patient-centred cancer treatment and care for Indigenous Australians must support their self-determined pursuit of holistic well-being and quality-of-life outcomes, deeply aligned with their cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices. In this yarning, Jerrinja Elder Aunty Grace Crossley illuminates essential cultural considerations that healthcare clinicians must not only recognize but actively integrate into their treatment and care protocols. This yarn is crucial for healthcare clinicians, sharing community experiences that emphasize the importance of providing First Nations peoples with healthcare that is informed by, responsive to, and respectful of their unique cultural practices and beliefs. By embracing these culturally grounded perspectives, cancer care can become more effective, respectful, and empowering for Indigenous patients and their families.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | https://gicancer.org.au/resources/seedpod-of-yarns/yarns-for-first-nations-patients-kin-and-community/ |
| Publisher | GI Cancer Institute AGITG |
| Edition | 1 |
| Media of output | Film |
| Size | 5 min 39 sec |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Madison Shakespeare is an Indigenous researcher, artist, filmmaker, poet, novelist, and musician who proudly identifies as a Gadigal saltwater woman. She has served on the Australasian Gastro-Intestinal Trials Group (AGITG) Community Advisory Panel, advancing early detection, diverse treatment options, and quality cancer care to support self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. With deep expertise in Indigenous research methodologies, Shakespeare’s transdisciplinary work bridges Indigenous knowledge systems and Western medical science through culturally grounded audio-visual storytelling, notably in the Seedpod of Yarns series. Her research focuses on addressing health disparities linked to social determinants and advocating for culturally safe, ethical clinical research. Shakespeare holds important academic and stakeholder engagement roles driving decolonising practices in Indigenous public health research.Aunty Grace Crossley is a respected Elder of the Jerrinja Aboriginal Community in New South Wales and a revered cultural leader. She has long contributed her wisdom and knowledge to strengthen Indigenous wellbeing and cultural preservation. Aunty Grace champions culturally grounded healthcare approaches that honour the spiritual and cultural beliefs of First Nations peoples, often participating in community ceremonies and educational initiatives focused on healing and identity. She plays a vital role in fostering respectful, culturally safe relationships between healthcare clinicians and Indigenous communities, ensuring responsive and respectful care for First Nations people.
Together, Madison Shakespeare and Aunty Grace Crossley represent powerful voices in Indigenous health advocacy, combining scholarly research with cultural leadership to promote health equity and Indigenous self-determination in cancer care and beyond.
Research Statement
A cancer diagnosis often triggers shock, fear, and disbelief, marking the beginning of a profoundly challenging journey filled with tests and treatments. While many non-Indigenous healthcare providers recognize the emotional toll of cancer, they may lack a nuanced understanding of how First Nations patients uniquely experience this journey within their cultural, social, and spiritual contexts. This Non-Traditional Research Output (NTRO), framed as a yarning dialogue between Jerrinja Elder Aunty Grace Crossley and Indigenous scholar Madison Shakespeare, centers Indigenous voices to share authentic and valuable community experiences related to cancer diagnosis.The NTRO is essential for healthcare clinicians, providing a culturally informed lens to better understand First Nations patients’ realities and fostering the development of patient-centred care that respects cultural and spiritual beliefs. It emphasizes building culturally respectful and competent relationships with patients, carers, kin, and communities, supporting holistic wellbeing aligned with Indigenous worldviews. By bridging lived experiences and clinical care, this work advocates for practice changes that improve healthcare outcomes for Indigenous Australians facing cancer, reinforcing the need for culturally safe and responsive care systems.
Keywords
- Aboriginal knowledges
- Indigenous cancer patients
- Cancer diagnosis
- cancer treatment
- Community
- self-determination
- bridging the gap
