Topics > Respectful relationships > Tips and advice > Communicating well

What are some things I might need to know about communicating well with Indigenous people?

To ensure you, and others, are comfortable in your communications, you might keep some key points in mind:

Begin with a relationship of trust

Perhaps the single most valuable ‘asset’ to help you easily engage with local Indigenous peoples would be a ‘mentor’ – an Indigenous friend or colleague who you can ask about anything that you are unsure of, be it small or large.  This is one reason why employing Indigenous staff often makes a huge difference. She or he can give simple advice on things that may not be clear to you. But if you do not have Indigenous colleagues, talk to Indigenous people when you meet them and, as rapport develops between you, ask questions of them.  Generally, if you are genuinely interested and respectful, people will be happy to answer your questions about their world. (Note though, that in some more traditional communities, too much questioning can appear intrusive)

Most of the ‘success stories’ of local partnership began with one person building a relationship with one other person. Reach out.

This does not mean that you can rely on the opinion of this one person to reflect the opinions of local people.  This ‘mentor’ relationship will help you communicate better with other Indigenous people. It can not reduce the need for that communication.

Use preferred local name for Indigenous people

It is basic respect to find out what local people prefer to be called. (See ‘What do Indigenous people call themselves’?)
The appropriate local term may be a regional name (Koori, Nyoongar, Murri, etc), or it may be ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Islander’ or ‘Indigenous’. In smaller communities, the particular language group (‘Kija’, ‘Walpari’ ‘Yolngu may be preferred. 
It would be a good idea for your branch or office to find out what is appropriate locally, and inform all staff. When in doubt, though, the term “Indigenous�? will not cause offence, even where people prefer a different title.

Do not use terms like ‘Blackfella’ unless you know people well, and then only with their endorsement. Even though many local people may use it, it can cause offence from a stranger.  A term like ‘Abo’ is not the equivalent of ‘Aussie’ for the vast majority of people. It is a clear sign of disrespect.  Other terms that can cause great offence are terms like ‘full-blood’ and ‘half-caste’. (These terms have been used to both control and divide Indigenous people, and are a relic of racial thinking that devastated many Indigenous families.)  (Refer to 2 Who is Indigenous? for more information.)

Acknowledge Country

Connection with country is crucial to the well being of Indigenous peoples.  For millennia, when Indigenous people visited the country of others, there would be rituals of ‘welcoming to country’. Today, these rituals have a legacy in ‘Welcomes to Country’ and ‘Acknowledgment of Country’. 

Usually a ‘Welcome to Country’ will occur at the beginning of any major public meeting. It will be done by an appropriate Elder – someone widely recognised as having ancestral connection with the country you’re meeting in.  She or he may welcome in their Indigenous language, or in English. 

‘Acknowledging Country’ can be done at the beginning of any meeting. Some organisations, for example, begin staff meetings with an acknowledgement.

An ‘Acknowledgment’ might be, for example “I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land we’re meeting on today, and acknowledge my gratitude that we share this land today, my sorrow for some of the costs of that sharing, and my hope and belief that we can move to place of equity, justice and partnership together�?. You may wish to establish your own wording.

Click here to listen to the welcome to country given by Matilda House at the opening of the 42nd federal parliament on 12 February 2008:

 
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Ask or listen; don’t tell.

Often, people feel that they should ‘know’ about Indigenous perspectives, and even try to tell Indigenous people about their (Indigenous) world.  But this can cause offence. Most people are offended  when you express strong opinions about how they see the world. (If someone tells you, for example, that ‘as a non-Indigenous person, you mainly care about money’ you might take offence). One of the keys to building good relationship is to listen more than you speak. And, where appropriate, ask questions more than give opinions.

This is particularly important because Indigenous people and communities are diverse, and what is true for one Indigenous person is definitely not true for all Indigenous peoples. For example, protocols of eye contact, name avoidance, or kinship behaviour patterns, will be important in some areas, and for some families, but not others. So you need to be aware that these protocols may be important, but don’t assume they are. In short, get to know people as a human being, not as a stereotype.

Seek more than one opinion

Sometimes people make the mistake of asking a local Indigenous person’s view on an issue, and then assuming that that is “the Indigenous view�?. If the matter you are discussing will impact on people’s lives, it will almost always be crucial to speak with a number of people so that you hear all perspectives.  It will usually be important to involve one or more recognised Elders. The first question in most consultations should be ‘who are all the people we need to speak with about this?’

 
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Relationship before business

When a good relationship has been established between you and another person, everything else will flow much more easily. Make good relations your first priority, rather than outcomes. The outcomes will flow from good relations. If people don’t trust you, you won’t achieve sustainable outcomes.

(Note that, for many Indigenous people ‘where are you from?’ and ‘who are you related to?’ are more common ‘small talk’ questions than ‘what do you do?’).

Acknowledge all the problems and solutions (not just the ones you think are relevant)

The impacts of history have created a lot of mistrust.  Many Indigenous people have, in their own lives, or the lives of their parents and grandparents, suffered significantly as a result of policies and practices of control, repression and segregation.  Equally, many Indigenous people have experienced, or know of, a litany of broken promises and ‘moving the goal-posts’.  Added to this, many Indigenous people complain, with justification, that ‘we are the most consulted people in the world, and the least listened to’.

For all these reasons, many Indigenous people will be initially wary when they are meeting with you. It will be important, if they raise it, that you acknowledge the wide range of challenges and injustices – past and present, that they have faced.   If you keep trying to bring the conversation ‘back to the business in hand’ you risk feeding mistrust. It is more effective to become genuinely interested in the perspectives of people you’re speaking with. They will then know that you are someone they can work well with.

For example, you may be meeting with someone about how you might serve local Indigenous customers more effectively.  This could well lead to a conversation about the local history of 6:00pm curfews, of forced removal of children, of the days when Indigenous people couldn’t own houses.  It may also lead to a conversation about re-building community capacity, personal healing, reconciliation, and Indigenous employment. All of this history, and all of these solutions, may be genuinely relevant so listen well and listen openly, rather than trying to ‘get back to the point’.

Accept cultural obligations

(Note: If you are working in an area where cultural ‘law time’ and other traditional practices take place you should get local training and advice on how to accommodate this, and this is not covered here.)

Indigenous peoples, like many cultures around the world, put a high priority on family, community and cultural obligations.
Throughout Australia the extended family is likely to be extremely important to many Indigenous people.  ‘Family comes first’ is an extremely important principle for many Indigenous people.  When you understand that many Indigenous people would count hundreds and sometimes thousands of people as ‘family’ (See ‘kinship systems’) then you will understand that  the tension between family obligations and business or work obligations will be high for many people.
When working with Indigenous staff and customers, it is essential to recognise this, and work to negotiate how both the family obligations and the work obligations can be met as effectively as possible.

This issue often surfaces around funerals.  Most non-Indigenous people would attend the funeral of immediate family even if it disrupted work. Indigenous people, with their much broader sense of family (and the sad fact that many Indigenous people die tragically young) commonly have a much larger number of funerals to attend.  Many workplaces negotiate with their Indigenous staff to determine how to accommodate this important obligation while minimising disruption to the workplace.

Remember, though, that this issue of funerals will not be relevant to all Indigenous staff. As with other issues, be aware of the possibility, rather than assuming it to be the case for all people.

In some areas, where traditional culture has been less disrupted, some Indigenous people will be in Avoidance Relationships. For this reason, when arranging to meet with people, comply with any suggestion that you should meet with different individuals or groups separately.

 
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Speak and listen well

Most Indigenous people today have English as their first language (though this will not be true in some remote areas).  For some, however the ways of using language can be different.  One of your roles, as an employee of an organisation, is as a professional communicator.  Here’s a ‘checklist’ of things to consider when communicating with Indigenous people.  (Some of these, of course, apply to all people.)

 
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