Walkern Katatdjin (Rainbow Knowledge) is a national research project that aims to understand and promote the mental health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ young people, and to work with services to develop appropriate interventions.

Shakara Liddelow-Hunt and Tahlia Blow join us to discuss the report and the themes of health, pride, joy, and culture. Peter (Ngaya Ngarigu) is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Educator at Thorne Harbour Health, and joins Michael as guest co-host this episode.

The Walkern Katatdjin project was run by Telethon Kids Institute, Kulbardi Aboriginal Centre (Murdoch University), Edith Cowan University, and the University of Western Australia and is funded by the NHMRC.

This podcast contains information about mental ill health, suicide, and bad experiences young people have had in their life. It’s important to seek help if you’re feeling distressed.

For immediate assistance, please call 000 or go to your closest Emergency Department.

Michael spoke with Natalie Amos from ARCSHS
about Rainbow Realities exploring fresh analyses from surveys such as Private Lives, Writing Themselves – which also included Walkern Katatdjin.

This episode was recorded on the lands of the Yalukut Weelam clan of the Boon Wurrung peoples, Wurundjeri land, and Noongar Whadjuk land. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded.

This episode originally aired Thursday, May 30 2024 on JOY.