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Objective: Aboriginal Elders have supported Aboriginal health and wellbeing for generations. Aboriginal Elders also play an important role in guiding those who work in health systems to work in culturally safe ways. The Cultural Exchange Program was developed to encourage reflexivity among non-Aboriginal researchers (N = 6) through experiential learning and relationship building with local Noongar Elders (N = 5). This paper examines the transformative impacts of this program for both the Aboriginal Elders and non-Aboriginal participants. Method: The Cultural Exchange Program was developed through an Aboriginal Participatory Action Research (APAR) approach. The Elders and researchers had active involvement and influence over the research process and interpretation of data. Themes were co-created through the APAR approach, including a reflexive thematic analysis and feedback loop. Results: For the Elders, the program promoted a desire to educate and bring about change, facilitated healing through truth-telling, and led to experiences of cultural respect. For the non-Aboriginal participants, the program evoked deep respect for the Elders and their knowledges, surfaced unsettling colonial realities, encouraged an inwards reflection, and motivated social justice change. Conclusions: These results highlight the transformative and healing experiences which can exist at the intersection of reflexivity, truth-telling, truth-witnessing, and relationship building. KEY POINTS: What is already known about this topic: The history and practice of health and wellbeing research has contributed to the colonisation of Aboriginal peoples. There is a need for health and wellbeing professionals to develop reflexive skills to work in culturally safe ways with Aboriginal peoples. Aboriginal Elders can play an important role in guiding those who work in health and wellbeing systems to work in culturally safe ways. What this topic adds: This paper outlines the process and outcomes of a Cultural Exchange Program, which encouraged reflexivity among non-Aboriginal mental health and wellbeing researchers. Aboriginal Elders and non-Aboriginal participants engaged in independent but intertwined transformative journeys, through building friendships, trust, and reciprocity. In line with an Aboriginal Participatory Action Approach, Elders and participants co-created themes as co-researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the principles and practices of Indigenous authorship in health research, focusing on the importance of respecting, recognizing, and honoring Indigenous Knowledges. The authors, a collective of Aboriginal and non-Indigenous researchers, share their team's approach to promoting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination and well-being. They emphasize the need to privilege Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing, and to engage in transformative actions to mitigate the ongoing effects of colonization. The article provides guidelines for Indigenous authorship, highlighting the importance of community ownership, informed consent, and de-centering oneself to work collectively with Indigenous peoples. [Extracted from the article]

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of the Cultural, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Program for reducing psychological distress and enhancing the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal women preparing for release from prison. Study design: Mixed methods; qualitative study (adapted reflexive thematic analysis of stories of most significant change) and assessment of psychological distress. Setting, participants: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women at the Boronia Pre‐release Centre for Women, Perth, Western Australia, May and July 2021. Intervention: Cultural, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Program (two days per week for six weeks). The Program involves presentations, workshops, activities, group discussions, and self‐reflections designed to enhance social and emotional wellbeing. Main outcome measures: Themes and subthemes identified from reflexive thematic analysis of participants' stories of most significant change; change in mean psychological distress, as assessed with the 5‐item Kessler Scale (K‐5) before and after the Program. Results: Fourteen of 16 invited women completed the Program; ten participated in its evaluation. They reported improved social and emotional wellbeing, reflected as enhanced connections to culture, family, and community. Mean psychological distress was lower after the Program (mean K‐5 score, 11.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.0–13.6) than before the Program (9.0; 95% CI, 6.5–11.5; P = 0.047). Conclusion: The women who participated in the Program reported personal growth, including acceptance of self and acceptance and pride in culture, reflecting enhanced social and emotional wellbeing through connections to culture and kinship. Our preliminary findings suggest that the Program could improve the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in contact with the justice system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]