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Colonisation continues to have significant impacts on First Nations Peoples and intergenerational trauma is prevalent in a range of settings, both in ɫ����վ and internationally. Across 2022—2023, Griffith University researchers from the Creative Arts Research Institute, Queensland College of Art and Design, Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Indigenous, and School of Allied Health, Sport and Social Work partnered with , a First Nations organisation, to conduct evaluative research of We Al-li's (CITIHA).

For over 30 years has offered culturally informed training to diverse professionals, communities, and organisations in trauma integrated practice aimed at eliciting positive change for individuals, families, and communities at both personal and professional levels. Over the past 5 years alone, We Al-li’s national network of 25–30 facilitators have run over 300 workshops for more than 200 organisations, communities and government departments and agencies, involving almost 4,000 participants. Training participants predominantly work in community facing roles such as child protection, disability services, nursing, occupational therapy, family support, and social work.

The Griffith researchers used small group and individual narrative yarning methods to co-create data with ten First Nations and non-Indigenous professionals who completed CITIHA between three months and 30 years prior to the research project. In this way, the research team was not only able to collect data to assist We Al-li in continuing to strengthen their services but provide an evidence base for culture led healing that can contribute to further culturally safe services, policies, and practices in diverse health and human service settings.

Overall, the research indicated that We Al-li's training sparked a journey of healing for many participants, with both immediate and sustained effects including personal transformation and behaviour change. The participants felt they needed to address their own inherited and personal trauma before facilitating healing in others or seeking institutional change, indicating the complexity of healing oneself while holding spaces for others to heal. This foundation of personal healing was supported by communities of care and connections with family, Country, and Elders which supported healing and addressed feelings of isolation after training.

Participants acknowledged that systems have been, and continue to be, sources of trauma for First Nations people, and that systems change is essential. The research emphasises that systems change will be slow, but that current efforts are planting seeds for future generations.

In response to Griffith’s research findings, We Al-li strengthened their Model of Change and practices to further support the healing journeys of their training participants. For example, their service delivery was extended to provide follow up support to participants in response to feedback that they were experiencing feelings of isolation after having completed the training.

These changes have been implemented by members of We Al-li's national network, including the Northern NSW Healing Hub in the wake of the 2022 Lismore floods. The work has also gained international interest, with We Al-li and Griffith University  being invited to join the international network to support systems healing internationally.

As the research was based on evaluation, the Griffith researchers also used the opportunity to contribute to the development of evaluation approaches that are both methodologically rigorous and promote First Nations healing, agency, cultural ways, and rights. Contemporary research and evaluation methodologies still tend to adopt Westernised approaches that can be seen as threats to First Nation communities due to the historical role of research in colonisation.

A decolonial and graphically designed research ethics information pack was used to recruit participants to the study. A creative Indigenist narrative research approach, using Indigenist processes of relationship building, establishing safety and respect, and deep listening, was used when interacting with the research participants. This in turn facilitated qualitative thematic analyses and creative and effective ways of sharing the research findings with stakeholders, including through a that is intended to be both a creative artefact and a resource.

The stories in the are shared alongside artworks co-created by nine students from , Queensland College of Art and Design (QCAD) at Griffith University. These are visual responses to the research participants' stories, adding another layer of interpretation and sense-making to the research. The eBook also provides reflections on key metaphors, threads, and levels of change that were reported across the participants’ stories.

Being repositioned as storytellers and having their contributions interpreted visually elicited a positive response from the research participants. A celebration event was also held to allow the design students to present their work back to the storytellers. One research participant stated, “I’ve never felt more listened to in my whole life.”

The represents an accessible and engaging training resource for diverse professionals. It can be utilised to inform community organisations, and it has been circulated as a training resource to all Arts, Education, and Law senior leaders at Griffith University to increase capacity and inform research practices and methodologies in support of First Nations wellbeing. The research approach also allowed the participating QCAD students to increase their awareness of colonial trauma and ways of working respectfully with First Nations Peoples.

“I really wanted to share in this project, to learn more about how to be respectful to Aboriginal people and their cultures in a way that I could be a trusted friend, and an ally in the design industry. I will continue learning; there are so many things I don’t yet know. I’m really thankful to have contributed to this project and had the privilege to learn more and be invited into this space,” said one QCAD student.

The research highlights that a culturally informed trauma-integrated approach provides a holistic method that can benefit a broad range of community members and professionals and support pathways toward healing historical and intergenerational trauma. While helping to strengthen We Al-li’s programs, the findings can benefit wider First Nations communities by contributing to culturally safe services, policies, and practices.

With the project having provided a positive grounding, the We Al-li and Griffith teams plan to extend their work both nationally through We Al-li’s extended network and internationally, starting with Māori researchers and community healers in Aotearoa (New Zealand). The planned research intends to contribute to sustainable positive change by empowering communities to lead their own healing processes and fostering international collaboration to address global wellbeing inequalities.