Page 18 Aboriginal Cultural Competence IDEAS FOR MORE ABORIGINAL-INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES Model cultural safety in own work Ensure work practices are grounded in awareness of one’s own cultural bias. Reflect awareness of own and other cultures in work practices: ✓ I accept everyone has cultural bias. ✓ I actively seek to deepen my awareness of my own cultural bias. ✓ I recognise and acknowledge my own cultural bias in work situations. The following are a few examples of how Aboriginal culture can differ from mainstream, Australian culture. These examples will not apply to all Aboriginal people. WHITEFELLA WAY ABORIGINAL WAY Show respect to elders Listen attentively and look them in the eye when they are speaking. Do not make eye contact – this is considered disrespectful in some Aboriginal cultures. A staff member’s grandparent dies Staff member may take one day off for a funeral, with advance notice of the date. Funeral may be in a church, may include flowers, music, photos and eulogies. Support from colleagues might include a sympathy card, flowers, compassionate comments about the deceased. Staff member may need to take up to two weeks off work for “Sorry Business” with no notice. Traditional Aboriginal ways of grieving. Displaying photos or saying the name of the deceased may be inappropriate or offensive. Communicate about the needs of a child Parents are assumed to be the primary caregivers and it would be inappropriate to discuss their child with someone else. Many Aboriginal communities see children as the responsibility of the extended family, and care, discipline and education is shared among many adults. Grandparents often have a key role and it may be important to communicate with adults other than parents.
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