Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are the Indigenous people of Australia. They are not one group but comprise hundreds of groups that have their own distinct set of languages, histories and cultural traditions.
The United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples calls on states to obtain free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous people through their representative institutions before adopting legislative or administrative measures that would affect them. The Declaration provides an international framework of engagement best practice.
Agencies and engagement practitioners should work closely with their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues, organisations and networks in order to design the most appropriate timelines and methods of engagement. ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples do not respond best to didactic or ‘stand and deliver’ modes of communication’. (Human Rights Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Engagement Toolkit, 2012). ‘Effective engagement is a sustained process that provides Indigenous people with the opportunity to actively participate in decision making from the earliest stage of defining the problem to be solved.’ (AIHW 2013)
Context is important to inform your approach, such as:
There are some excellent reference materials available to help inform your method selection and especially the principles that need to underpin your engagement approach. Engaging early, meeting on country, and respecting Aboriginal Community decision making processes are some common principles.
Other principles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement includes the following:
(Engaging with Indigenous Australia— exploring the conditions for effective relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities 2013. Closing the Gap)
Below are a number of useful resources to help you plan your engagement. Please note, this is not an exhaustive list. Please consult with the appropriate Aboriginal engagement resources before choosing your engagement methods. They aim to help you choose the most appropriate methods to use in partnership with Aboriginal communities to progress the issues.
*IAP2 like many organisations is on a continuous learning journey with engagement and in particular Maori, Pasifika and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement. We will continue to update this page as we learn and grow and encourage our members to also reach out and suggest improvements and updates.