Honouring place during research topic yarning: Lessons from a cross-cultural research experience

For Indigenous Peoples globally, place is more than physical geography. It represents a nexus of spiritual, ecological, and social relations rooted in cultural memory and historical contexts. These dimensions make place an essential yet often overlooked determinant of health and wellbeing. Our team of health researchers, working at the cultural interface, sought to understand how Place shapes approaches to brain ageing with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Within this broader context, the team engaged in collaborative yarns, an Indigenous methodology grounded in relationality, to explore how health research with Indigenous Peoples can operationalise Place. A key finding was the pivotal role of the Navigator , a trusted community member whose Place-based knowledge guides the research team, safeguards Indigenous sovereignty, and ensures cultural integrity. The Navigator affirms Indigenous ways of Knowing, Being, and Doing, bridging Community and researchers while upholding the primacy of Place in interpreting shared knowledge. When health research centres Place, it gains cultural and contextual validity, enabling more meaningful knowledge translation. This approach strengthens trust and reciprocity and offers pathways for policy and practice that are responsive to Community priorities, advancing more equitable and grounded models of brain health.