First Peoples: Connection to culture

TOPICS

Family and friends Emotional wellbeing and mental health

First Nations peoples content warning

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that the following content may contain images, voices, or collaborations with people who are now deceased.

Women from First Peoples communities across Australia talk about why it’s important to look to your community, including friends and family, for strength and connection and how speaking to others who have had similar experiences can help you.

We recommend you take care when watching this video as some people may find the content upsetting. The people featured in this video are sharing their own unscripted personal stories. This is not intended to replace medical or professional advice.

This video was made with support from Cancer Australia through the Supporting Women in Rural Areas Diagnosed With Breast Cancer program.

Leah If you're lucky enough and you live on country go to country I tend to look for my ancestors my mother who's past my grandparents that's passed you know all those strong elders that have led the way

Natasha There's such a big thing to connection to country and connection to community and community to me is everyone in my life and that is friends that is family that is cousins brothers sisters having that community attachment and you know community keeping an eye on me like elders and friends of family and things like that it's just it makes me feel safe and loved and warm

Aunty Pam Oh I love my community is everything to me

Andrea Making friends in community really did help and I came across other women who had had similar journeys which was pretty amazing people who wouldn't normally talk about that stuff but once they found out about my cancer they were happy to talk about theirs

Sally I know other aboriginal women that have been through breast cancer as well and knowing that they've fought it and having conversations with them and talking about their journey

Aunty Dot I did have that community as well so this is just the elders and just the wider community that I’m working with now at the moment we'd all share stories about what we went through you know it was a bit of a relief sort of knowing there was somebody else who was sort of having the similar problems as myself storytelling is all about our community you know our people our mob it's the way we connect with everything you know.