Two Worlds, One Health

What can two women - one who’s lived in Galiwin’ku most of her life, and one who made it home - teach us about holding knowledge, building community, and navigating change in a remote Yolŋu community? In this episode, we hear from two women with different journeys but a shared commitment to community. Heather Yeparrnga, a Yolŋu educator and grandmother, has lived her whole life in Galiwin’ku. She...

Who controls research, and who benefits from it? Across Australia, Indigenous communities have often been the subjects of research rather than actively leading and shaping it. But in Galiwin’ku (Elcho Island), a different approach is taking hold - one built on co-design, mutual respect, and shared knowledge. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Hanieh speaks with Mrs Ruth Gulamanda Dhurrkay, Mr George Garam...

For Yolŋu people, the homelands are more than just a place to live, they are a way of life, deeply connected to country, culture, and identity. While living on country offers a sense of belonging that town life cannot replace, it also comes with challenges - from rough roads and deteriorating houses to unreliable essential services. In this episode, Dr Sarah Hanieh speaks with Margaret Dhorrpuy Mu...

What happens when a remote island community must build its own dialysis unit to keep families together? In Galiwin’ku, a Yolŋu community on Elcho Island in the Northern Territory, rates of chronic kidney disease are rising, forcing many to leave their homelands for life-saving dialysis treatment—often hundreds of kilometres away. In this episode, Dr Sarah Hanieh speaks with Charlie Yebarrarr Dhama...

How do you navigate a future shaped by both tradition and change? For young Yolŋu leaders, the path forward isn’t always clear. Tradition is strong, but modern influences - like social media - are changing the way young people connect with culture, community, and Elders. With these shifts, tough questions arise: What traditions do you hold onto? What do you adapt? And how do you make space for bot...

Western medicine treats the body, but for Yolŋu people, health is something much bigger. Wellbeing is tied to land, kinship, and the natural environment, passed down through generations. This traditional way of looking at health and wellbeing has sustained Yolŋu communities for centuries, but today, it exists alongside Western healthcare. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Hanieh speaks with Marcus Lacey...