The Toolkit is founded on mutual respect, innovation and the pursuit of excellence. A fresh approach is needed, characterised by goodwill, good faith and a commitment to Aboriginal access to services.
‘Walking Together’, is a tool to help make things happen. It contains helpful hints, ideas for new approaches to engaging the Aboriginal community, statistics and background information on Aboriginal history and information about Aboriginal services on the coast. It will help organisations:
Increase access to their services by the Aboriginal community;
Know “who’s who” in the Aboriginal community;
Understand the infrastructure of Aboriginal organisations;
Know how to raise your profile in the Aboriginal community; and
Know the importance of Elders and understand that “Elders” is a term of respect and does not signify recognition of age.
Better understand the benefits of partnering with each other;
Set out how to approach potential partners, built on respect and trust.
The following information is designed to help you gain a better understanding of the local Aboriginal community.
It is important to remember that ONLY Aboriginal people can determine who is Aboriginal and who is not.
Aboriginal people specifically relate to each other by tribal groupings and/or family names or groupings eg. “I’m Badtjala” or “My mother was a Gala and she’s Badtjala from Fraser Island” and so on.
Aboriginal Identity Tips: The most appropriate way to identify someone of Aboriginal descent may not always be apparent. When in doubt, a good rule of thumb is simply to ask, “Where are you from?”
Elders
An Elder is usually an older and respected member of the community with whom the community relies on to give advice and to pass on knowledge. Many Elders have a clear understanding of traditional knowledge, culture and customs. The term “Elders” may not always mean men and women over a certain age. They are representatives in the community who are trusted and respected. Some Elders are referred to as Uncle and Aunty, but you should only use these titles when given permission to do so. If your not sure the best thing to do is ask your Aboriginal community.
The Traditional Custodians of the land, usually a senior representative of the local Aboriginal community, should undertake the “Welcome to Country” Ceremony.
Acknowledgement of Country
Although a “Welcome to Country” must always be done by an Aboriginal person, an “Acknowledgement of Country” is a way that non Aboriginal people can show respect for Aboriginal culture and history. At the beginning of a function, the speaker begins by acknowledging that the event is taking place in Darkinjung country.
Example: I would like to acknowledge the Darkinjung people who are the Traditional Custodians of this land and pay respect to the Elders both past and present of the Darkinjung Nation.
Acknowledging the Traditional Owners is a relatively recent occurrence. To Aboriginal people it is the cultural recognition of sovereignty, and the ongoing sovereignty over land of Traditional Owners on whose Country we may be gathering.
The practice of ‘Welcome to Country’ came into vogue as a result of the Mabo decision where the term Country, Traditional Owner and Elder became part of the mainstream vocabulary. Prior to the High Court decision the non-Aboriginal community did not embrace these terms.
The most appropriate way to approach the issue is from a position of respect. It should be established who are the First Peoples of the area and respect should be paid to them and acknowledgement of Country given. Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council does not claim to be the traditional owners of the Country but take their role as custodians very seriously.
On the Central Coast, if your organization is arranging an activity and you would like to acknowledge and respect the traditional owners of the area, contact the Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council in the first instance, and Darkinjung will refer you to the appropriate person/s to perform such an important cultural occasion.
A further important point which should be clarified, along with ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremonies is the use of the didgeridoo. The instrument is not from Country and originates from the Gulf of Carpentaria across northern Australia to Derby.
Today the didgeridoo (which is not an Aboriginal name) has become a symbol of Aboriginal Australia and is played in nearly all communities. However, it must be remembered that the instrument is not part of the culture of the Darkinjung irrespective of its prolific use.
‘Welcome to Country’ must be done with respect and in accordance with local tradition.
The Toolkit “Walking Together” is intended to develop cooperative and productive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.
The training package for the kit plus the Cultural Appreciation training, will provide a useful forum for frank and honest sharing of views, leading to a better understanding of Aboriginal issues.
This will communicate practical advice for the broader non-Aboriginal community to improve the way they provide services to Aboriginal people.
Instead of doing business in isolation, Aboriginal people are reaching out to be included in planning and service delivery for their children and families. Aboriginal communities should play a key role in coordinating the funding and program efforts of non-Aboriginal and government agencies to ensure partnerships are engaged to the benefit of Aboriginal communities.
In order for government programs to be tailored to meet community needs, there should be community ownership, and problems dealt with before they develop rather than putting out fires. Creative solutions can be developed with non-Aboriginal services, government agencies and community working together.
The Central Coast Neighbourhood and Community Centres Forum coordinated the development of this Toolkit, “Walking Together” and believe in the principles of partnership, which promote Aboriginal Peoples access to services.
Tips to ensuring the Cultural Sensitivity of your Centre
Look at your Centre from an Aboriginal perspective and ask yourself the following questions:
How are Aboriginal people reflected in your Centre’s vision, aims and objectives?
Are your Centre’s policies appropriate to Aboriginal people’s interest?
Have you got a policy on reconciliation or anti-racism visible?What is there to show that the Centre values and welcomes Aboriginal people eg:Aboriginal flag, artwork, and posters?
What information is available on Aboriginal services?
Do you have an informal non-threatening area where you can sit and talk?
Talk to local Aboriginal organisations about days of significance to them. Ask how you can support them by having these days recognised and acknowledged.
Ensure the Aboriginal flag is visible at your centre especially during NAIDOC and other special occasions.
Always acknowledge Aboriginal people as the traditional owners of the land and acknowledge the presence of Elders if appropriate.
Ensure you have an understanding of the history of colonisation and its effect on Aboriginal people.
If you need assistance developing policies and procedures contact Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, other Aboriginal organisations or your Service Peak Body.
Strategies for Encouraging Participation by the Aboriginal Community
Invite Aboriginal representatives to participate in your organisation’s planning days and other events that may be relevant to the Aboriginal community.
Encourage your organisation to provide programs/services for non-Aboriginal people to raise awareness of the issues confronting Aboriginal people, their culture and history. Consult with your local Reconciliation group or Local Aboriginal organisations for assistance.
Arrange for a representative from your organisation to visit relevant Aboriginal organisations in the area.
Develop contacts with Aboriginal workers in government Agencies eg, Dept of Housing, Centrelink, DoCS, Dept of Education. They can pass on information about your service to their clients.
Check with local Aboriginal organisations to find out if they produce newsletters and ask if you can include information about your centre.
Organise an Open Day inviting local Aboriginal people, making sure that you plan activities that will attract Aboriginal people to participate. Consultation with Aboriginal organisations may help with this.
If any mainstream positions are advertised within your organization, it could be a good practice to state that ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply’ and use Local Aboriginal networks for advertising e.g. Koori Mail, The National Indigenous Times, the Darkinjung Indigenous Employment Centre in addition to mainstream publications.
If employing Aboriginal people in an Aboriginal designated position always consult with Aboriginal groups to develop projects that may lead to employment. Involve Aboriginal representatives and/or community members in the criteria process. It is important to involve Aboriginal people throughout the whole process, for example, job description, roles and responsibilities. It is important to include representatives from the local Aboriginal community on the interviewing panel.
Patricia Darvell and Lorelle Savage, “Local Community Services Association” - A question of understanding
How to meet your Aboriginal
Community
Attend NAIDOC week celebrations. A Central Coast NAIDOC week celebration is held at Mt Penang Parklands in July each year. This is a really great day out and you can showcase your service.Attend Flag Raising Ceremonies. These are often held by Gosford & Wyong Councils to celebrate significant Aboriginal events.
- Get involved in Reconciliation Week events in May of each year. The Central Coast Reconciliation Group hold their Annual Ball during this week and it is a great way to get to know your community.
- Attend the Central Coast Aboriginal Interagency Network to pass on information about your service and find out what is happening in the Aboriginal community.
- Contact the Mingaletta Aboriginal Corporation and ask if you can attend a meeting. This organisation is based on the Woy Woy peninsula.
- Take a few brochures about your service to the Darkinjung Aboriginal Land Council and meet the people there.
Other Strategies for Communicating with the Aboriginal Community
Be honest and sincere
Use simple, clear, plain language
Speak if and when necessary and be prepared to listen
Always acknowledge Aboriginal people’s skills and knowledge
Keep an open mind
Direct eye contact may be considered confrontational or rude
Emphasise the purpose of your activity and how this will benefit the Aboriginal community
Always be practical and don’t use jargon or language that cannot be understood
Always show respect for Aboriginal people’s culture and language
The primary principle, which should be acknowledged and embraced in developing protocols between parties, is:
“Protocol means observing customs and lores of the people or community you are working with and communicating in a way that is relevant to them.”
Dealing with Aboriginal communities should always be through appropriate channels. Be aware that in urban areas, like the Central Coast, cultural values and protocols still exist.
Every community will have some common ground and similarities, which needs to be acknowledged for future reference. However, the more important point is to remember to be aware of the differences and that each community has their own protocols that should be followed.
Just as there is no universal “Aboriginal opinion” on issues, there are no “universal protocols or rules”, which apply to all Aboriginal nations, Aboriginal individuals, families, clans or communities. But there are general ground rules, which can be used to locate the proper ways for the area, the people and the project. It’s about making sure that the community respects how you go about it.
If you are unsure on how this can be achieved, a good rule of thumb to remember is to contact Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council on 4351-2930 and they will advise you appropriately.
Aspirations When Developing Partnerships
There are various ways of forming partnerships with your local Aboriginal community.
Below are some hints for successfully working together on joint ventures/projects.
Identify your goals
Take the time to get to know your potential partner
Understand your partners desires, motivations and expectations
Always be respectful
Always listen
Don’t ignore advice of Elders and experts
Understand the decision/approvals process
Don’t move too quickly
Identify what each potential partner brings to the table
Always do due diligence
Have a solid Business Plan
Don’t make assumptions about each others position or goals
Create open dialogue.
Hire the right people
Evaluate the operation of the partnership
Maintain a relationship once the partnership is over
What to do if you are confronted with Racism
Australian laws make it illegal for people to engage in racist activity or to encourage, incite or permit racist acts to occur and are aimed at protecting individuals who make complaints about racism.
It is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of race, colour, nationality, descent, ethnic or ethno-religious background. Discrimination against a person on the grounds that the person has a relative or associate who is of a particular race is also unlawful under Australian legislation.
Commonwealth and State laws relating to racial discrimination generally cover discrimination in employment, the provision of goods and services, education and accommodation although there is variation between different acts. Sanctions exist against both direct and indirect racial discrimination. There are a number of criminal laws that apply to physically violent racist behaviour.
The Racial Discrimination Act (1975) and its 1995 amendment the Racial Hatred Act are the Commonwealth laws relating to racial discrimination. In addition, all Australian states and territories have anti-discrimination laws that cover racial discrimination. Australia is also a party to a number of international conventions and declarations, which impose obligations in regard to racism and racial discrimination when ratified in Australian law. The Commonwealth Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act (1986) gives effect to several international conventions and declarations such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990) and the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981).
Some people mistakenly believe that the public expression of racist attitudes is a legal and acceptable form of free speech. In Australia, as internationally, the right to freedom of speech carries with it certain responsibilities and restrictions, which protect the rights of others against open hostility and discrimination. Australian law expressly prohibits incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence on the basis of race.
Australian legislation relating to racial discrimination covers many aspects of racist behaviour but not all forms of racism. While legislation makes racism unlawful in several contexts, legislation cannot address the underlying social issues. Education, together with effective legislation, provide the best hope for developing a society free from racism.
All organisations should have a strategy in place to confront racism. Strategies suggested can include:
Respond to Racism: familiarise all Centre workers with material which refutes common myths about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples so that you can challenge racism when you hear it.
- Confront personal racism: organise a training session for members of your Centre to discuss what you have learnt about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and where these learning’s came from. Groups with trained facilitators can provide workshops on personal racism.
- Challenge stereotypes: provide a program to enable the people who use your Centre to gain more accurate information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Brainstorm with members of your Centre at team meetings, management committee meetings, planning days etc. how you can replace biased learning’s with more accurate firsthand information.
- Use your Centre's newsletter to challenge myths and stereotypes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Publish stories and materials written by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Include racism awareness training and demographic information on the local area as part of your orientation of new staff, committee and volunteers.
And
Commonwealth Native Title Act 1993
Considerable confusion exists not only in the non-Aboriginal community but within the Aboriginal community as well, in relation to the workings and relationship of the two acts.
The confusion within the Aboriginal community is not surprising in that neither piece of legislation has any foundation for its existence in Aboriginal Lore or Contemporary Beliefs or Customs.
The Acts have a common thread in that both have land as a primary purpose, however that is where the similarity ceases.
The NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Act (ALRA) which came into existence in the latter part of 1983 was the result of over two years of consultation with Aboriginal communities across NSW by a Parliamentary Bi-Partisan Select Committee, whereas the Native Title Act came into being in 1993, not as a result of extensive consultation but as a result of the High Court Decision in Mabo v Queensland.
The Mabo decision remains a defining event in Australia’s history. The common-law recognition of Native Title in areas where Australia’s Aboriginal people have maintained traditional connection with land has had a profound impact.
The NSW ALRA is in essence a compensation Act. It recognises that as a result of past Government decisions Aborigines have been progressively deprived of land with no compensation.
The NSW ALRA attempts to right the injustice by allowing Aboriginal Land Councils (bodies Corporate under the Act) to claim Crown land that is:
§ Not lawfully occupied at the time the claim is submitted;
§ Not needed for an essential public purpose; or
§ Not needed or likely to be needed for residential purposes.
The land is held by the Land Council in fee simple and may be disposed of, if the Members of the Council so wish.
On the other hand to gain land under the Commonwealth NTA, the claimants must be able to prove ownership through a very complex and exhaustive process.
The claim if granted, is granted to individuals or groups of individuals and unlike the ALRA the title is inalienable and the land cannot be sold, mortgaged, exchanged or otherwise disposed of.
The NSW ALRA allows Aboriginal communities through their Land Council to do business with whomever they choose, using the land as collateral. There is no provision for such under the NTA.
The NSW ALRA caters for all Aboriginal persons within a Land Council boundary, irrespective of their tribal background, whereas the NTA deals specifically with clan Members who can show proof of connection.
The Central Coast Neighbourhood and Community Centres Forum will assist the NSW Partnership Agreement through the use of the Kit, focusing on promoting partnerships between Aboriginal communities and the non-Aboriginal community to achieve better outcomes with existing government funded programs.
The Purpose and Vision of the Agreement is:
“The purpose of this Agreement is to improve social, economic and cultural outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in New South Wales through greater coordination of, and collaboration between, the NSW Government, and NSW Aboriginal Land Council.
The vision is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their own communities and through their representative bodies will play the lead role setting directions and developing solutions and approaches to address issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”
It is now well documented that Aboriginal families throughout Australia, and the Central Coast is no different, have experienced difficulties related to loss of identity and culture since colonisation. Those difficulties are compounded by the fact that mainstream services lack a real understanding of the real needs of Aboriginal people.
The issues that are confronting Aboriginal people have a detrimental affect on their communities, and have placed many Aboriginal families at a disadvantage. These are:
Poor education opportunities
Unemployment
Poor Health; and
Inadequate and Insufficient Housing stock
What is needed in our community are approaches that are culturally sensitive and spiritually framed with the recognition of Aboriginal skills and knowledge, only then will healing take place.
The development of this Resource Kit as a tool to assist the non-Aboriginal community and businesses to develop partnerships with the Aboriginal community is an important initiative of the Central Coast Neighbourhood & Community Centres Forum, NSW Partnership Agreement and the Central Coast Aboriginal people, which will hopefully address the disadvantages identified above.
Tip: This is an ideal forum for non-Aboriginal service providers to find out what is happening in the Aboriginal community and to meet workers from the various projects and Departments.
The Central Coast Aboriginal Interagency Network (CCAIN) is an open forum for all agencies and interest groups on the Central Coast. This includes Government, non-Government and non-Aboriginal service providers.
At the present time, the Aboriginal Inter-agency Network:
Provides a central contact point for agencies to find out about issues affecting the Aboriginal community so that their services become more relevant and accessible for Aboriginal people; and
Acts as a forum for Aboriginal agencies/workers to support each other.
Current Aims of CCAIN were agreed on 28 October 2004 and are:
To increase awareness, understanding and accessibility in the local Aboriginal community of programs and services available to them.
To promote cultural respect and provide information amongst the community, organisations and service providers to the specific needs of Aboriginal people.
To actively lobby and advocate as a united network on relevant and important issues.
To act as a support network for Aboriginal services and workers, both on a formal and informal basis.
To encourage participation from Aboriginal families, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers and community networks at interagency meetings.
Work is being undertaken through engagement with the Aboriginal community to identify current needs and how CCAIN will interact with other advisory/consultative groups currently operating across the Central Coast.
The Interagency meets the last Thursday of each month at 9.00 a.m. The general meeting, which usually goes for about two hours is followed by a meeting for Aboriginal workers only.
Contact details for CCAIN are: PO Box 1198, Gosford, 2250.
The current Chairperson is Mick Pittman (4323-3334) and the Vice Chairperson is Vickie Parry (4351-1040).
