BACKGROUND:
Globally, Indigenous communities experience persistent and inequitable health outcomes. In Australia, these disparities are exacerbated by deficit-based research narratives that frame Indigenous health through a lens of deficiency and pathology. Such approaches influence policy, clinical practice, education, and research priorities, reinforcing implicit bias and failing to produce meaningful change. As an Aboriginal researchers our work challenges these paradigms by centring Indigenous Knowledges and strength-based frameworks to reimagine public health research and practice.

METHODS:
This workshop draws on over a decade of experience in Aboriginal health research and education, including projects on burns, falls, traumatic brain injury, diabetes, and childhood injury. Participants will be introduced to Indigenous Knowledges (encompassing ways of knowing, being, and doing), alongside Indigenous methodologies, standpoint theory, and decolonisation approaches. The session will explore how these frameworks can be applied to public health research to promote culturally responsive and equitable public health research.

RESULTS:
Participants will be guided through knowledge systems and research approaches that underpin Indigenous led public health research. Using lived experience case studies from Australia, the workshop will provide a practical lens to understand how standpoint theory and decolonisation methodologies can be applied in real-world contexts. These examples will highlight how Knowledge Interface Methodology can be used to shift narratives from deficit-based to strength-based approaches. The session will be interactive and didactic, encouraging meaningful dialogue and critical reflection among participants. Through peer engagement and facilitated discussion, attendees will deepen their understanding of Indigenous research principles and their relevance to public health practice.

CONCLUSIONS:
Indigenous-led, strength-based public health research is essential for achieving health equity. Participants will leave this workshop with practical tools and insights to become active allies in Indigenous health research, equipped to engage respectfully with Indigenous Knowledges and contribute to decolonising public health research.