1. CATALYST INJURY
MANAGEMENT
Cultural Awareness
Training

2. “ACKNOWLEDGEMENT”
SPEECH
“I would like to respectfully acknowledge the
Local Aboriginal people who are the
Traditional owners and custodians of the land
on which this meeting takes place.”

3. The Purpose of this
“Cultural Awareness Training”
 The purpose of this brief Cultural Awareness
session is to provide staff at Catalyst with
awareness and understanding of the
Indigenous culture.
 As we are getting more Indigenous clients at
Catalyst, we would like staff to have a brief
understanding of the Indigenous Culture, so
we can work together to Engage more
effectively with our Indigenous clients and
have respect for the Indigenous culture.

4. WHO ARE
“INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS”
 The term “Indigenous Australians” includes two
separate groups of people, the Aborigines and
Torres Strait Islanders, that together make up
about 2.5% of Australia’s population.
 Aboriginals are indigenous inhabitants of
mainland Australia and Tasmania.
 Torres Strait Islanders are Indigenous to the
Torres Strait Islands, which are at the northern-
most tip of Queensland near Papua New
Guinea.

5. ABORGINAL FLAG
 The Aboriginal Flag is made
up of three sections, black,
yellow and red;
 Black – represents the
Aboriginal people of
Australia;
 Yellow – represents the
sun, giver of life and
protector, and
 Red – represents the red
earth, the red ochre used in
ceremonies and Aboriginal
peoples’ spiritual relation to
the land

6. TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER
FLAG
 The Torres Strait Islander
flag has three horizontal
panels, a white dhari
which means (traditional
headdress) sits in the
centre with a five –
pointed white star
beneath it.
 Green – represents the
land
 Black – represents the
Indigenous peoples
 Blue – represents the
sea

7. ABORIGINAL
IDENTITY
 Some Aboriginals will identify there selves to which area
of Australia they come from;
 For Example :
 Koori – refers to Aboriginal people from NSW and
Southern Queensland
 Koorie – refers to Aboriginal people from Victoria
 Noonga – refers to Aboriginal people from West
Australia

8. ABORIGINAL
IDENTITY – (CONT.)
 Nunga – refers to Aboriginal people from South
Australia
 Palawa – refers to people from Tasmania
 Murri – refers to Aboriginal people from Queensland
and north-west NSW
(* Torres Strait Islanders don’t identify with the term Murri)

9. IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR STAFF TO
REMEMBER WHEN IDENTIFYING
 It is always important when using the terms
“Aboriginal” , “Torres Strait Islander” and
“Indigenous” that it is written with a Capital,
just like any other cultural term.
 Aboriginal people should never be referred to
as “aborigines”. This is a generic term for the
original inhabitant of any country.
 You should also never refer to someone as
“ATSI” .

10. INDIGENOUS PROTOCOLS WHEN
ENGAGING WITH INDIGENOUS CLIENTS
 There are a lot of different views about what
protocols should be used when dealing and
engaging with Aboriginal people. Some
protocols to remember are;

11. COMMUNICATION
PROTOCOLS
 When liaising with an Indigenous client there Aboriginal
English may be difficult to understand at first. So listen closely
and make sure you speak in a clear manner.
 Don’t assume that you are doing an Aboriginal person a
favour by mimicking there language or speech patterns. This
is very offensive;
 Be sensitive about non-verbal communication cues, which
are often a natural part of Aboriginal communication patterns.
For instance, the use of silence does not mean that the
Aboriginal person does not understand. They may be
listening, thinking or remaining non-committal. Long periods
of silence and thought are common when engaging with
Indigenous Clients.

12. COMMUNICATION
PROTOCOLS (CONT.)
 In some Aboriginal cultures, it is considered rude
or disrespectful to look someone straight in the
eye. If an Aboriginal person does not want to
make eye contact with you, this does not
necessarily mean that they are lying or are being
rude.
 If an Aboriginal person is comfortable with eye
contact that is fine but if not then notice and
respect this.
 Also, pointing at an Indigenous person when
trying to emphasis something should be avoided.

13. MEN’S AND WOMEN’S
BUSINESS
 In Aboriginal culture certain customs and practices are
performed by men and women separately, often referred to
as Men’s and Women’s Business.
This practices have very strict regulations attached and
penalties for breaking this rules can be severe.
 When engaging with an Indigenous client, you should ask
them if they would preferable like to “Speak to a Man for
Men’s Business” & “Speak to a Woman for Women’s
Business”;
E.g. If an Indigenous client at Catalyst has to go for a Job
Capacity Assessment or anything medical related, it is
important for Catalyst staff to remember to ask them if they
don't mind sharing information with a Men or Women.

14. SORRY BUSINESS
 Many Aboriginal people use the word business in a distinct
way, to mean matters. Funeral and mourning practices are
commonly known as Sorry Business.
 In many Aboriginal communities there is a prohibition on
naming someone who is deceased, which may last for
months or even years. When this occurs, a different name is
used to refer to the person who has passed away.
 Generally, the face of the person who has died should not be
shown without warning, particularly to their own communities.
You should always check with the local Aboriginal community
before displaying or broadcasting names or images of
deceased people.

15. RESPECTING ABORIGINAL FAMILY
STRUCTURES AND ROLES
There are differences in Aboriginal family structures and roles of
members to non-Aboriginal families which need to be understood
and respected when delivering services.
 The title uncle, aunty, sister, brother is used for all biological
relatives and also used as a respectful title for friends, family, older
people and sometimes, new acquaintances. It is not just restricted
to biological relationships as in many non-Aboriginal cultures.
 Close and distant cousins have the same status as brothers and
sisters.
 Aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, in-laws and grandparents will often
include other people’s children in their family for months and
maybe years at a
time .
 Respect and seek to understand the role of Aboriginal women and
men and their family Responsibilities.

16. RESPECTING ABORIGINAL FAMILY
STRUCTURES AND ROLES CONT.
 Be aware there is a difference in Aboriginal male and female
lore/law practices, significant sites, traditional responsibilities
etc.
 In many Aboriginal communities the women, particularly the
older mothers and grandmothers are strong and influential.
 Young Aboriginal children are generally allowed much latitude
to explore and be independent.
 Pre-teenage children can sometimes have substantial sibling
responsibilities.
 Be aware that many people across the State are inter-related.

17. BREAKING STEREOTYPES
 Alcohol consumption
Some people perceive that alcohol consumption is far greater within the
Indigenous community. This is, in fact, a myth. Many Indigenous
Australians do not drink alcohol at all – according to a recent census,
approximately 32 per cent of Indigenous Australians are non-drinkers
compared to only 16 per cent of the non-Indigenous population.
 Going “walkabout”
It has also been said that Indigenous people did not own the land, but just
wandered from place to place, or went “walkabout”. This misconception
stems from the fact that Indigenous people did not mark their land with
fences or borders in the way non-Indigenous people do.
 Indigenous people see themselves as belonging to the land, rather than
owning it. Land was divided up through geographic boundaries such as
rivers and mountains, and the knowledge of these boundaries was passed
from one generation to the next.
 Before European settlement, Aboriginal Australians were a nomadic people,
who moved from place to place in search of food and water. This practice
also ensured that no one area would become over-hunted and gave natural
resources the time they needed to be replenished.

18. BREAKING STEREOTYPES
 Since European settlement and the introduction of non-Indigenous law and
order, many Indigenous Australians have been forced to give up their
traditional lifestyle, or else this knowledge has been lost due to past
government removal practices. Indigenous people now live in cities and
towns across the country, as well as in rural areas and the outback.
Negative imagery vs. positive achievement
 Despite the large amount of negative exposure in the mainstream media
regarding Indigenous Australians, many Indigenous people are living
successful lives and achieving great things.
 Most non-Indigenous people would be aware of Indigenous achievement in
the sporting arena – namely Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman, boxer
Anthony Mundine, and the many successful Indigenous footballers in the
AFL and NRL. However, there are also many Indigenous people achieving
in a variety of other fields, including the arts, education, the law, health and
government.

19. “THANK YOU”
“ALL FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION”