Working in partnership : exploring the medicinal and therapeutic potential of traditional bush products made by the Yirralka Miyalk (Women's) Rangers (YMR) of Laynhapuy Homelands, Australia

Abstract

Collaborative community-university partnerships are an ethical approach to conduct research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, to achieve outcomes relevant to these communities. In 2016, a research project was conducted in collaboration with, and directed by, the Yirralka Miyalk (Women's) Rangers (YMR) of Laynhapuy Homelands, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia and the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at Western Sydney University. As a continuation of this collaboration, the research documented in this thesis investigates the bush products manufactured by YMR and the related traditional medicinal plants used to produce them- Eucalyptus tetrodonta, Melaleuca dealbata and Litsea glutinosa through a mixed method research strategy. Apart of the participatory action research and community-university partnerships framework adopted for this research, semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with YMR members and Laynhapuy staff to identify focus areas for further study. The medicinal and therapeutic value of E. tetrodonta, M. dealbata and L. glutinosa were identified as areas of interest and guided the subsequent research reported in this thesis. To assess the medicinal and therapeutic value of the three species, qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative methods were employed. Through the observations made in this thesis, and through continued collaboration following participatory action research (PAR) frameworks and mixed method research, it is hoped that the scientific evidence gained will continue to support the YMR members and their bush products.

Date of Award	2016
Original language	English