📝 Culturally Informed Practices First Nations

Language and Communication 

If you are First Nations, you will already understand how your community works. If you aren’t First Nations, there are some things you need to understand before connecting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, sporting clubs and schools.  

• Respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and connection to the land is important to understand.  

• First Peoples Communities have structures that must be followed.  

• When connecting with Mob, it is important to connect to the right people within community who can tell you how those structures work. You might need to be invited to meet with Elders and senior family members before you can start any Sport4All work.  

• First Nations Peoples perception on disability varies, depending on their Mob. Disability can be seen as an omen and people with disability may be excluded from their community, depending on the community. Other times, disability is not acknowledged because it isn’t seen as being a big deal.  

• It is important to not lump all First Nations Peoples cultures into one as there are many different languages/ dialects and beliefs among communities.  

• Your LGA will have an Aboriginal Liaison Officer or other roles that relate to Indigenous affairs. Make sure you connect with the people who fill these roles, talk to them about what you’re doing and ask them for any advice when working with the local community.  

• Aboriginal People need and should be able to use language that is connected to their culture. English may not be spoken in community and a language translator may be required. 

As a first step, it is good to understand the context of each of these words;  

• Aboriginal – used more frequently and widely accepted  

• Torres Strait Islander – is the only term used to identify the peoples from the Torres Strait.  

• The term Indigenous – is used sparingly in Qld but does get use infrequently by older generations of people and used also when talking about global Indigenous peoples if referencing the Convention of Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  

• First Nations – new language to identify nationally “Indigenous peoples”  

• First Australians – used occasionally by non-indigenous peoples (especially in services)  

• Traditional Custodians – used only for those who are Traditional Owners  

• Elders – identifying the many leaders elected by the community (doesn’t follow age but community commitment and responsibility) 

Click here to find out more: Understanding First Nations Culture Training 

First Nations People Community Links 

Connecting with key organisations that support community in the Local Land Council may help build your relationships with community. These groups include but are not limited to;  

• Local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Cooperatives  

• Aboriginal Medical Services – National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) is the national body  

• Primary Health Networks – These organisations have First Nations Peoples staff who work across all LGA areas around community  

• Aboriginal Media Services – Each State and Territory have access to radio, newspapers and NITV that can also provide resources and information on communities.  

• Local Indigenous Networks – LINS work on providing communities with access to information on what is on offer in the communities they serve. 

Acknowledgement of Country 

An Acknowledgement of Country should still be said, even if there are not First Nations People present in your meetings, communications, events, activities whether they are online or in-person. When writing or speaking your acknowledgement of country make sure you first research and acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which you are situated on.  

Get Skilled Access currently uses the following Acknowledgment of Country for their HUB staff. “I acknowledge the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which I work and pay my respect to Elders past, present and future. I recognise their cultural heritage, beliefs, and relationship with the land on which we live.”  

An Acknowledgment of Country is more meaningful when it is well thought out and personalised. Try including something you have recently learnt about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.  

Map of Indigenous Australia 

The map on the AIATSIS website attempts to represent the language and groups of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It shows the general locations of larger groupings of people which may include Mobs, dialects or individual languages in a group. 

Click here to find out more: https://aiatsis.gov.au