Indigenous health in the spotlight at RACS ASC

The Indigenous Health section of RACS ASC was expanded in 2022. This was in response to Cultural Competence and Safety becoming the new 10th competency and the steady and continuing focus on increasing diversity and inclusion within the College. There were two broad aims—to provide sessions suitable for upskilling by all conference attendees and to increase Indigenous participation in every role at the conference. The result of this focus was several firsts—the first academic visit, the first section dinner, the first dedicated plenary, and the first funded research prize. As part of a parallel aim to normalise Indigenous ways of working and doing, there was also the first Yarning Circle/ Hui Whakawhanaungatanga and an increasing use of norms such as Māori pepeha in speaker introductions and Aboriginal languages in presentations. The section visitor was Professor Chelsea Watego. In addition to her keynote lecture, she and her team from the Institute of Collaborative Race Research hosted a workshop of guided readings examining cultural competency, or rather, the negative effects on Indigenous people when cultural competency is absent. Catering was provided by Murri Menu and it is possible that the lemon myrtle scones and kangaroo sausage rolls with bush tomato relish were also a first for the ASC. The Indigenous Health breakfast sold out early, with current and multiple past presidents, office-bearers, and allies attending. The breakfast was opened with a welcome to country from elder Uncle Joseph and ended with a message from Haylene Grogan, Deputy Director General of Queensland Health. The Indigenous scholarship winners were presented with their awards by Dr Sally Langley. Dr Mikayla Couch - RACS ASC Award Dr Mitchell Smith - RACS ASC Award

Dr Toriana Murray - RACS ASC Award

Dr Nasya Thompson - RACS ASC Award Dr Nikola Fraser - RACS ASC Award (2020 winner but due to COVID deferred until 2022) Dr Claudia Paul - ASC Peer Support award Dr Justin Cain - 2022 SET Trainee One Year Scholarship – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island

Dr Jamie-Lee Rahiri - 2022 SET Trainee One Year Scholarship – Māori Dr Lincoln Nicholls - 2022 SET Trainee One Year Scholarship – Māori The Indigenous Health convenors would also like to thank the keynote speakers Dr Maxine Ronald, immediate past Chair of the RACS Indigenous Health committee and Dr Kris Rallah-Baker, Australia’s first and only Indigenous ophthalmologist. Thank you also to the plenary speakers Dr Rhys Jones (University of Auckland) and Professor Michael West (The King’s Fund, London) and Future Dreaming panellists Dr Claudia Paul (Rhodes scholar), Dr Jamie-Lee Rahiri (PhD) and Dr Rob Grant (cardiothoracic Trainee) for contributing to such a strong and successful section. It is clear from the attendance and the social media engagement with the activities of this section that Indigenous health is on an increasingly strong footing at RACS. We look forward to the RACS ASC 2023 where Indigenous health will be the overarching theme.

Dr Justin Cain and Associate Professor Rhea Liang

Images (Clockwise from top left): Indigenous Health breakfast; ICCR workshop; Dr Justin Cain and Associate Professor Rhea Liang; Yarning Circle/ Hui Whakawhanaungatanga.