About the project
In collaboration with Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM), QUT Carumba Institute and the Torres Strait Nurses Indigenous Corporation, the UMe Project’s goal was to embed the Torres Model of Care (TMoC) into the health system. This involves defining and documenting the model through a collective storytelling process that engaged Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) health practitioners to tell their own story of care from their worldview and standpoint. The UMe Project brought Indigenous people together not as subjects of research but as sovereign knowledge holders, authoring their own stories and bring their knowledges to construct the necessary evidence base for understanding the effectiveness of the TMoC.
The UMe Project aligns with our values by centring Indigenous sovereignty, ensuring Zenadth Kes practitioners lead the storytelling and evidence-building for the Torres Model of Care. It affirms cultural authority, community‑led decision making, and the elevation of Indigenous Knowledge systems in order to transform health systems and health outcomes.
Our team
Chief Investigators
- Adjunct Professor Phillip Mills
- Professor Chelsea Watego (QUT Carumba Institute)
- Dr Ali Drummond (CATSINaM)
Indigenous Research Project Officers
- Joyrah Sebasio
- James Tabuai
Research Partners
- Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives
- Torres Strait Islander Nurses & Midwives
Funding
The UMe Project is funded by the Lowitja Institute, Australia’s only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community‑controlled health research institute. The Institute leads high‑impact, community‑driven research and supports a strong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research workforce.
Project Highlights
Over 30 contributors have shaped the project, with two vodcasts produced on the Torres Model of Care and its methodology, two publications featured in IndigenousX, a conference showcase at the 4th International Indigenous Health & Wellbeing Conference, one PhD candidate contributing to the research, and ongoing cultural governance and peer‑leader meetings guiding the work.
Vodcast
UMe Project - Torres Model of Care
This vodcast features health practitioners and Elders from Zenadth Kes sharing their experiences and insights on delivering care within their communities. They speak to the realities of frontline work, the importance of Indigenous led approaches, and how their practice strengthens the Torres Model of Care and the assertion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in health systems.
Publications
Kiawal Toran (our presence our time): The urgency of eliminating racism from the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service
Published on IndigenousX, the article—authored by Uncle Phillip Mills and Chelsea Watego, calls for reinstating the Torres Model of Care, which historically improved health outcomes through Indigenous governance and community‑driven system design. It argues that genuine reform must centre Indigenous sovereignty and culturally grounded approaches to care.
We don’t want ‘equity’, acknowledge our sovereignty
Phillip Mills (Kulkalgal Nation) argues that Indigenous peoples are not seeking equity within colonial systems but the recognition of their unceded sovereignty. He challenges “health equity” frameworks for measuring Indigenous lives against colonial norms, reinforcing deficit narratives, and obscuring obligations for systemic redress. Instead, he calls for sovereignty‑led approaches to wellbeing—grounded in cultural authority, dignity, and self‑determination—which align with UMe’s commitment to Indigenous‑led transformation in health systems.
Gallery
Contact us
For enquiries or to connect with the UMe Project team at the Carumba Institute.