Indigenous perspectives on active living in remote Australia: a qualitative exploration of the socio-cultural link between health, the environment and economics

Abstract

BackgroundThe burden of chronic disease in Indigenous Australia is more than double that of non-Indigenous populations and even higher in remote Northern Territory (NT) communities. Sufficient levels of physical activity are known to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve the health of those already suffering from chronic disease. It has been identified that effective promotion of physical activity in Indigenous settings requires the diverse cultural perspectives and participation of Indigenous people. However, Indigenous concepts of physical activity are not represented in the public health literature and examples of Indigenous involvement in physical activity promotion are scarce. This study aimed to explore and describe local perspectives, experiences and meanings of physical activity in two remote NT Indigenous communities.MethodsQualitative research methods guided by ethnographic and participatory action research principles were used. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 23 purposively selected community members were the main source of data, augmented by five commissioned paintings by community-based artists and observations recorded in a journal by the first author.ResultsThe findings reveal that in this cultural context the meaning of physical activity is embedded in socially significant and economically necessary physical engagement with the environment. Participants described physical activities associated with Indigenous natural and cultural resource management, customary spaces, seasonal timing and traditional education as creating and protecting health. These activities were viewed not only as culturally appropriate physical activities that contribute to health but as legitimate, physically active forms of social organisation, education and employment that help to build and maintain relationships, wealth, resources and the environment.ConclusionThis different construction of physical activity in remote Indigenous communities highlights the importance of involving Indigenous people in the development and implementation of physical activity promotion. Physical activities associated with traditional Indigenous cultural practices and being active ‘on country’ need to be viewed as legitimate health promotion activities. Exploring further ways to enable Indigenous people in remote NT to be involved in creating viable active livelihoods on ‘traditional country’ needs to be considered as imperative to health improvement.

Identifying and categorizing cobenefits in state-supported Australian indigenous environmental management programs: international research implications

“…The importance of landscapes to indigenous Australians has been the subject of considerable research (Williams 1986, Myers 1991, Morphy 1995, Strang 1997, Rose 2000, Weir 2009, Bradley 2010, Gammage 2011. Land restitution initiatives have resulted in 22% of the Australian continent being under indigenous tenure, with nonexclusive shared title over a further 10% (Altman and Jackson 2014).…”

“…Australian ICNRM initiatives have grown in response to demands for indigenous recognition, natural and cultural resource rights, and regional development (Young et al 1991, Baker et al 2001, Smyth 2011, Bauman et al 2013, Hill et al 2013, Altman and Jackson 2014. Indigenous people wish to derive income and finance the retention and reestablishment of traditional land management practices , Luckert et al 2007, Putnis et al 2007, Muller 2008, Altman and Kerins 2012, Winer et al 2012).…”

“…Sustained criticism of the "fortress" model of conservation, which locked local communities out of environmental management decisions, has compelled the development of more socially responsible approaches (Salafsky andWollenberg 2000, Adams andMulligan 2003). Protected areas are now more frequently managed for multiple objectives that include indigenous and local livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use, and poverty alleviation (Borrini-Feyerabend et al 2004, Stevens 2014.…”

“…The beneficial socioeconomic effects of community-based natural resource management activities, either indigenous or nonindigenous, remain understudied (Hibbard and Lurie 2012), and there appear to be no agreed-upon metrics or even broadly accepted approaches for assessing the effectiveness of new community-based environmental institutions (Sutter andParreño 2007, Hibbard andLurie 2012). Challenges for major international initiatives in consistently delivering sustainability benefits (Olsen 2007, Kollmuss et al 2008 indicate that reducing uncertainty and complexity in the identification, evaluation, and monitoring of cobenefits is a research priority.…”

Environmentally-related health impacts of coal seam gas development: An impact assessment approach in Queensland, Australia

“…Indigenous Australians have one of the highest levels of health inequality compared to other Indigenous groups (M. Walter & Saggers, 2007). Indigenous Australians experience a disproportionate level of chronic diseases compared to non-Indigenous Australians (Thompson, Chenhall, & Brimblecombe, 2013). Considering this, and the difference in demographics between the three areas, it could be expected that hospitalisation rates for certain outcomes might be higher in the RA area than in either the CSG or CM areas.…”