Cultural Protocols

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have a diverse range of customs, lores, and traditions that can be relevant to the workplace. We have created guidelines to educate and advise on some common cultural protocols.

Indigenous Employment

You cannot take a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as they all have their own historical impacts that are different from one group to the other.

Making an effort to tailor our ways of working and communicating will improve our knowledge and understanding of diverse cultural dynamics that exist in Aboriginal families and communities.

We are sharing some examples of cultural protocols to demonstrate how increasing our awareness of customs, traditions and lores can support us in creating a more inclusive workplace.

Common Customs

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Protocols for welcoming visitors to Country have been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for thousands of years. An Acknowledgement of Country is an opportunity for anyone to show respect for Traditional Owners and the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country. It can be given by both non-Indigenous people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We encourage employers to make an 'Acknowledgment of Country' at the start of meetings and events.

Click here to view more information on Acknowledgment of Country from Reconciliation Australia.

‘SORRY BUSINESS’ (When a family or community member passes away)

For some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, particularly in central Australia, strict cultural practices prohibit them from seeing an image, hearing the name, reading the name, viewing the artwork or hearing the music of a deceased person. You cannot foresee this circumstance however you can add a warning where appropriate. Permission to use a deceased person’s name and image needs to be provided in writing from the direct family of the deceased.

Funerals of family members can also be mandatory, immediate, and last a few days. This includes sacred traditions that should be respected and approached sensitively.

Communication Guidelines

These guidelines have been created to assist you to communicate with your Indigenous workplace in a way which is both correct and culturally appropriate.

Communication Guidelines

A few other examples of common cultural customs, lore, and mannerisms that are often misunderstood include:

A soft handshake and limited eye-contact can be a sign of respect
Being singled out for criticism or praise can cause 'shame'
Invitations are meaningful and should be treated respectfully
Silence is often a sign of consideration and contemplation
Family relationships are more complex and differ from non-Indigenous family structure
Responses to questions could be short, so ask follow-up questions
'Men's Business' and 'Women's Business' means certain customs can only be performed separately.