The quality of qualitative research: impact and engagement in Indigenous longitudinal research and scholarship

‘The Old People sent this story to us…To remember what those cloaks mean…Their message, our story, is to return the cloaks to our People' 

Whilst colonising practices forcibly interrupted this tradition, it is again a significant Story being continued through working with communities in remembering, reviving, reclaiming and regenerating cultural knowledge and practices around Possum Skin Cloaks. Cloak workshops have been delivered to more than 75 communities across south-east Australia over the past 17 years.

The impact of this cultural revitalisation journey is through its cultural, philosophical, ethical and practice-base of sovereign rights to knowledge and practice; inclusion, healing and empowerment. In this presentation, we come together as co-researchers to discuss the qualitative measures of this impact and the value of longitudinal research in Indigenous contexts. Vicki will highlight the measures she applied to examine the impact of her PhD work in communities. Olivia will describe what impact and engagement means for the wider university research sector, both in terms of supporting Indigenous scholarship and rethinking Indigenous knowledge in the academy.