Beyond co-design: Upholding sovereign knowing and community rights to develop a smoking and vaping cessation programme for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

Abstract

Indigenous people have applied their expert knowledge systems and research practices since time immemorial; however, the academy is still largely controlled by non-Indigenous people and favours Eurocentric Western methods. Indigenous people have continued to show strength and resilience despite these systems and continue to thrive through upholding sovereign knowing and wisdom. Indigenous knowledge systems are critical in driving meaningful evidence to improve health outcomes. This paper draws on our collective sovereign knowing as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to articulate the development of a smoking and vaping cessation group-based programme: Which Way, acknowledging the rights for our women to have culturally responsive and safe care. As such, we describe our approach to research, and how we reposition power and centre indigenous knowledges in our work to deliver meaningful outcomes that move beyond the usual application of Euro-Western co-designed research approaches which have become prevalent in the field. This is not to offer a methodological approach to research, but rather, to continue to validate and give space to indigenous researchers, students and community members ontological practices and in public health research.

Keywords

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
• indigenous methods
• co-design
• indigenous knowledges
• methodologies
• SDG 3: good health and wellbeing