Indigenous Present Knowledge

Watch this video – Allowing all your knowledge so far to deeper connect

Acknowledgement of Country

This is a short practice that shows deep respect and cultural awareness. Acknowledging Country, is when an acknowledgement of the place you are holding the meeting or event, the ‘Country’ you are standing on, is taking place, to say thank you to all who have looked after this land we are blessed to live on.

This is usually done at the start of a meeting or gathering. This can be given by Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals. The primary focus of this practice is to acknowledge Country (Land), ancestors, and traditional Land representatives and to allow connection by everyone in the group. To be true to Indigenous culture and connect everyone in the room as one and to the country they are on.

However, a ‘Welcome to Country’ is delivered by Traditional Owners (usually an Elder) or other Indigenous representatives that have been given permission by Traditional Owners to welcome others onto their Country. It is commonly followed by speeches, songs, stories, and smoke ceremonies.

There are many ways to deliver this acknowledgement.

Myths

There are many negative myths about Indigenous Australians. It is important to understand that if these myths go unchallenged, it inhibits communication. Some common myths include suggestions that Indigenous people are lazy, they don’t work for a living, they get special treatment, they just need to move on and the list goes on.

Think about this: How can you communicate or engage with Indigenous people if you believe these false truths? It is extremely difficult!

First, eliminate any lingering myths you have encountered, and give yourself the space to be with one of the most beautiful cultures in the world. You will be surprised by what you will learn. Use what you have learnt in this course to challenge myths like the ones mentioned in the video.

Communication

Edward T. Hall created a framework called low and high context cultures, which are highly applicable to Indigenous Australians.

He relates that high context cultures focus on what is happening around the spoken message. This is primarily an Indigenous culture.

Whereas, Western cultures are generally low context. They focus on the explicit message only and block out most of the context around the communicated message.

Understanding the framework of low and high context cultures allows you to communicate more effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Because they have a primary focus on high context, this generally means they want to build relationships first before they get into in-depth conversations. They will ask you about where you are from, who your family is and what you like to do.

For individuals from low context cultures, this may be uncomfortable. However, this is how you develop a relationship with Indigenous Australians quicker. If you follow this, they will give you the trust to communicate more effectively. Remember, they commonly communicate in a high context way.

Appropriate engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can be enhanced if you can discern if they identify. Meaning, for different reasons, some Indigenous individuals may identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, while others may not.

It is not in our best interest to judge why. However, the focus should be to move forward with awareness and understanding. Remember, you need to understand the degree to which they identify. As you have seen in the previous stages, Indigenous people will identify and not identify for many historical reasons.

Use this distinction to engage more effectively with Indigenous Australians. For those who do not identify strongly, you would not offer certain services. The most reliable way to know is to ask in a respectful manner – ‘Do you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?’  

The key is not to judge how they answer this question, despite personal feelings. If you can gauge how much an Indigenous individual identifies, you will be able to engage more effectively with them. 

Research and Respect

It is important that when you are going into Indigenous communities that you communicate before you arrive. Conduct your research on what is happening in the community. Find out if it is appropriate to go at the time you are thinking. Once you know what is happening in the community, think about the context around the message you want to communicate.

This is where conducting research is very important. Conduct research by talking to Indigenous land councils, medical centres, Elders, respected Indigenous individuals, Indigenous institutions and so forth. This research will again help you to engage more effectively. Remember, Indigenous people live in a high context culture. By conducting culturally appropriate research, you demonstrate cultural awareness.

Indigenous Culture and Western Culture

Traditionally, and even today, Indigenous people of Australia live and make decisions in a paradigm that is different from the Western world. Australian mainstream culture, in general, lives life, makes legislation and conducts business through a social science paradigm, which means they believe in what can be measured, observed and tested.

Indigenous Australians do believe in this paradigm; however, it is incomplete alone. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders believe very strongly in the paradigm of the spirit or the spiritual paradigm, where things from the unseen can communicate, inspire and impress.

Look at this modern-day example. This example features a Torres Strait Islander woman who is the daughter of the late Eddie Mabo. Review the 6.00min–8.20min section of this video. Pay attention to how her cultural/spiritual paradigm is different from a social science one. 

ADD IN SOME SPIRITUAL CONNECTION/STORY

This is not a scary myth, but a beautiful cultural element in the Indigenous history of Australia. Indigenous Australians will make decisions based on what they feel through a spiritual paradigm. ⁶

If you want to engage with Indigenous Australians positively, you need to understand that they may not see the world through a social science paradigm and for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, that is OK.

AWARENESS

From what you have learnt in this course, you may see why a number of Indigenous Australians see Australia Day as ‘Invasion Day’.

Again, this course is not about making judgements, but about effective engagement. 

For example, if you are a business leader and you know ‘Australia Day’ is a sensitive topic for some of your staff, you may refer to it as a public holiday. This is a simple practice that can be implemented by any organisation. Remember, in this context, it is not about right or wrong, but more about effective engagement. 

It would seem that if more people were aware of why some Indigenous individuals have reservations about Australia Day, they will be more likely to be inclusive of Indigenous issues.