Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance (ACRA)
The Aboriginal Communities and Families Health Research Alliance (ACRA) brings together researchers, Aboriginal community members, policymakers and service providers to facilitate community-driven, culturally respectful research to benefit Aboriginal families and communities.
ACRA also focuses on knowledge exchange and translation of this research into ongoing improvements in culturally appropriate health care services supporting Aboriginal maternal, perinatal, child and family health and wellbeing.
Through this work, ACRA creates strong and sustainable research partnerships and collaborations between community, researchers, service providers and government.
ACRA was formally launched at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in November 2017.
Artwork Meaning
Artwork title: Living Health, Living Family, Living Spirit. Strong communities: A journey of systems change for healthier generational outcomes of our peoples.
Artists: Karl Telfer and Jakirah Telfer
Date produced: October 2017
Living Health
The green represents our lands and the sacred support from our ancestors, when our lands are cared for with respect, the land responds and listens to us. It also shared the gifts of regeneration and renewal. Caring for our lands and culture is caring for ourselves.
Living Family
Women, Children. Men and Babies are represented here on the land (Women Purple, Men Green and Children and Babies Orange and Yellow). They are looking towards their journey lines, leading towards the large community circle of healers and modern health practitioners for better health outcomes for our Grandparents, Mothers, Fathers, Children and Babies.
The three blue pools represent the equity of the many healing knowledges that come together to support and nurture our healing spirits.
Living Spirit
The River Lines (Two in Blue) bring a flow of understanding our historical journey towards healthier generational outcomes and hold sacred knowledges we need as a community together. This is to ensure we support each other in achieving Strong Health outcomes to bring about a renewed quality of life.
Strong Communities
When we come together to share and support one another through cultural care, we foster relationships on our journey which lead to better health outcomes for us, our families and our communities. Strong Spirit, Strong Song. A strong vision of positive holistic generational well-being.
Program Leaders
SAHMRI is located on Kaurna Country. We pay respects to the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We are committed to embracing knowledge and culture as we continue our working journey to incorporate Aboriginal health research across all of our themes and further reconciliation.
Read more"Tirki nguta tappa tangka marninithi"
(Learning and knowledge are the pathway to alter the mind)
- Uncle Lewis Yerloburka O’Brien, Kaurna Elder
