First Knowledges Health: Shawana Andrews, Fiona Stanley, Sandra Eades (out 29 October 2024)

What do you need to know to prosper as a people for 65,000 years or more? The First Knowledges series provides a deeper understanding of the expertise, wisdom and ingenuity of Indigenous Australians.

For thousands of generations the wellbeing of Australia's First Peoples was grounded within the sacred lands of Mother Earth. Good health was not something to be sought and attained. It occurred naturally because lifestyle and diet were inextricably connected to Country and culture. Colonisation damaged this connection, but much is being done to rebuild and nurture it.

Health explores the vision and knowledges with which Aboriginal people are re-shaping considerations of health and wellbeing today. It offers concepts that are not tied to Western practices, as it delves into Indigenous birthing, end-of-life care and other cultural rituals. The authors highlight the critical role of Aboriginal leadership and Eldership in decision making about health care, and explore the strength and longevity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resistance and resilience.

Through their storytelling and their decades of research and health practice, Shawana Andrews, Sandra Eades and Fiona Stanley show how Aboriginal knowledges foster a path for self-determined healthy futures.