End of Life Yarning: An Indigenous Perspective on Dying

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were practising end of life care for thousands of years prior to colonisation. But with the loss of traditional practices in many communities, are mainstream palliative care services equipped to cater to the needs of Indigenous people? And what can we learn from Indigenous perspectives on dying?

Eliza Munro, Sorry Business Consultant

If you bristled at the word ‘palliative’, then you’re not alone. Despite the best efforts of the angels working in hospice care, it can still be scary for anyone nearing the end of life. But for First Nations families navigating the palliative system, there are additional challenges.

For many Indigenous Australians, Sorry Business is a common feature of everyday life. According to research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2009, 42% of Indigenous respondents indicated that they had experienced the death of a family member or close friend within the past year.

You would not find an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander person that hasn't been affected by multiple sorry businesses

Eliza Munro, Sorry Business Consultant

With such frequent exposure to death, dying and grief, some practitioners in the sector are striving to make the health system more responsive to the cultural needs of First Nations people.

In this week’s episode, we talk to a Sorry Business Consultant about palliative care and death literacy in Indigenous communities. Our guest, Eliza Munro, is a spiritual woman from the Gamilaroi Nation and the Managing Director of a consultancy named Ngiyani Wandabaa. With over twenty-years experience in Indigenous health, including nearly a decade in palliative care education, Eliza is passionate about enhancing culturally safe and responsive end-of-life care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

There's a common belief that if we speak of death, that we're manifesting and death will come sooner

We asked Eliza, what are the major barriers to accessing end-of-life care for Indigenous people? What are some of the taboos around death in First Nations communities? And why is it important to die on country? Join us for a wide-ranging discussion as we talk history, holistic care, Returning to Spirit and pranking your relatives from the grave.

Links

Eliza Munro - Churchill Trust

Learn a Dhurga greeting

Social and Emotional Wellbeing

Culture Care Connect

Credits

Grave Matters is an SBS Audio podcast about death, dying, and the people helping us do both better. Find it in your podcast app, such as the SBS Audio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or LiSTNR.

Hosts: Anthony Levin and Nadine J. Cohen

Producer: Jeremy Wilmot

Writers: Anthony Levin and Nadine J. Cohen

Art and design: Karina Aslikyan

SBS team: Joel Supple, Max Gosford, Bernadette Phương Nam Nguyễn, and Philip Soliman

Guest: Eliza Munro

Helplines

If you'd like to speak to someone, you can reach a counsellor at Beyond Blue at any time, day or night, by calling 1300 22 4636 or visiting www.beyondblue.org.au. Also, Lifeline offers 24/7 crisis support on 13 11 14, and Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. In an emergency call 000.