Why is it important to learn about Aboriginal culture?

Exploring another culture opens you up to learn a different point of view, other solutions, new wisdom, and helps you to connect and have empathy. When you understand a bit about someone's culture it's much easier to relate to them.

Learning about Aboriginal culture specifically gives you an understanding of a vast history of this continent that history books and lessons struggle to capture or convey. It is also an opportunity to understand the damage invasion and colonisation did to Aboriginal culture.

When you know Aboriginal perspectives you can bring a greater understanding to your and other peoples' lives. Just think about the massive bushfires that devastate Australia time and again – if more authorities had and applied Aboriginal cultural knowledge, they might prepare the land differently.

Learning about Aboriginal people and their culture is also important because in the past they have often been disrespected and denied rights that other Australians take for granted (for example voting, property, employment). As you learn about their history you can see how badly past governments treated Aboriginal people and how important it is today to respect, welcome and support them.

You can contribute to build a better Australian society.

Carla Rogers, a co-director of Evolve Communities, knows why we need to learn more about Aboriginal culture:

"A lot of people say, ‘Well, I wasn’t around 230 years ago, I didn’t do these things,’ but a lot of these things are still happening today. There’s the unofficial stolen generation and the ongoing discrimination that Aboriginal people still experience today. I witness racism, I witness prejudice and I witness the privilege and opportunities that I have as a non-Aboriginal person, and also the things I don’t have to think about." ^[1]

And Lindsay Stanford, founder and principal of Blakworks, a service that helps create respectful workplaces, is one of many Aboriginal people who call on non-Aboriginal people to get to work.

"Australian people and governments have failed to recognise our worth. It’s not me, it’s you. So, work on you. Work on changing your workplace. Build a workplace that respects, welcomes and supports Aboriginal people." ^[2]

It is important to know about and acknowledge the darker chapters of our history. Other nations have done this already – New Zealand and Germany, for example – and much has grown from that work.

Almost no Australians know anything about the Aboriginal civilisation because our educators, emboldened by historians, politicians and the clergy, have refused to mention it for 230 years.

— Bruce Pascoe, Aboriginal writer and historian ^[3]

Why does Aboriginal culture matter?

Some people might object that Aboriginal people are only a small minority of the population. Others believe they didn't innovate enough to be important.

Because Australian Aboriginal culture is so old and intricately connected to Country it has a wealth of knowledge about how to look after and survive in this land. A lot of these secrets help us with contemporary problems: fire management (bushfires), culinary recipes (making bush foods edible), plant wisdom (using native plants to replace water-hungry imports) and much more.

Aboriginal culture enriches the diversity of Australia's society, provides deep links into ancient history, offers different views to living in this country and a wealth of stories.

Where do I start?

When asked where the best place was to start becoming more engaged with Aboriginal issues, Aboriginal writer Tony Birch replied: "There’s no starting place, and no end. Just read, watch, look and listen to everything you can." ^[4]

Learning about Aboriginal culture is a little like setting up a new garden bed. First you need to clear the ground and pull out the weeds. Then you put new seeds into the ground, give them fertiliser and water them regularly.

And that's exactly what we are going to do!

Step 1: Clearing the weeds

Let's first become aware of some weeds that might get in the way of learning: stereotypes, myths and unconscious bias. They are tricky buggers and might have long, hardy roots.

Let's start with stereotypes and myths. You might have copied them unconsciously when you first heard (and believed) them. Many people carry them around and pass them on, spreading them literally like weed spreads. Let's look at two common ones.

Is there one 'Aboriginal culture'?

A very common misconception is that there is one Aboriginal culture and language. "What's the Aboriginal word for ...?" is a symptomatic question.

An important foundation of your new garden bed is to know that Aboriginal culture is very diverse. Before invasion there were about 250 different Aboriginal nations, each with their own language and dialects, cultural protocols, diet and customs.

Think of it: Australia is as large as Europe and has very different environments, from coastal to inland, from desert to rainforest. A boomerang is of little use in the rainforest, just as knowledge about crocodiles is in the desert.

Aboriginal people have dark skin and live in the outback

This is a very noxious weed that grows everywhere! Just look at images used by the tourism industry: Aboriginal people are painted and dancing, are not named and shown in nature. It's hard to rip this one out.

Most Aboriginal people don't work for the tourist industry, are not painted and don't dance. They hold jobs like you and me and try to master their challenges just like we do too.

Statistically speaking, the largest number of Aboriginal people live in Western Sydney and not the outback. Proportionally (i.e. as a percentage of the population) you'll find the highest percentage lives in the Northern Territory.

As for their skin colour, remember diversity. Aboriginal people literally come in all colours, from very dark skin to fair skin. Why is this so? Because their ancestors mixed with other Australians as they fell in love across cultures, or, on a more dark note, when Aboriginal women were raped by British invaders and colonists.

It's not the colour of your skin that determines if you are Aboriginal, it is your ancestry and your own decision about how you identify.

Unconscious bias

Unconscious bias is almost like a weed that you can only see at night which makes it very hard to get rid of. It is very likely that you hold some bias that you are not aware of, as 75% of Australians tested for unconscious bias hold a negative view of Aboriginal people. ^[5] This is not good as it can lead to widespread racism. Some call it "undercover racism". ^[6]

So what can you do to pull this one out? Being aware of how you think and talk about Aboriginal people is a good start. Search and read some positive stories to balance the mainly negative news some media feeds you.

When it comes to unconscious bias, once you realise [it] or you feel a little bit uncomfortable, then the onus is on you to go out and educate yourself because ignorance is no longer an excuse.

— Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex ^[7]

Next steps

Before you wash your hands from all the weed-pulling, immerse yourself into a few more, so nothing grows where your new knowledge will sprout.

Step 2: Putting in the seeds

Before you rip open the new bag of seeds there's an important step to take: Always read the label. Why? Because in our case we need to speak the same (respectful) language when we talk about Aboriginal culture – especially if you are talking to Aboriginal people later on.

Use the right words

As you read more articles and posts you'll notice different words and terms that people use to refer to Aboriginal people. Let's sort the good seeds from the poor.

Good seeds to use:

• Aboriginal people. This is the most accepted term. I use it on this website in an inclusive way, meaning I include people from the Torres Strait. You can also use "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people". Don't abbreviate it (that abbreviation has a bad rep).
• Use the Aboriginal nation. Even better: Use the nation's name if you're talking about a specific group of people. You would say "I love Italian pasta" and not "I love European pasta", right? Then say "I met some Wiradjuri people" rather than "I met some Aboriginal people".

Poor seeds – don't use these:

• "Indigenous people". This is used a lot, unfortunately, and I assume mainly because it nicely combines "Aboriginal" and "Torres Strait Islander" into one term. But many Aboriginal people don't like it. Let's respect that.
• "Aborigine". This term was first used by invaders and colonisers, and many First Nations people find it offensive. Some media are still using it today – please don't repeat their mistake.

Step 3: Let it grow

With what you know now you are already ahead of many Australians. Now it's time to water and grow what you've planted.

Aboriginal Culture Essentials

I've realised that many people have less time to read long-form and in-depth articles (i.e. much of the content I've written for this website!). That's why I've created a resource that has short chapters about the essential and important aspects of Aboriginal culture.

Consider getting a copy of the ebook Aboriginal Culture Essentials so you can nurture and expand what you learned here today. Don't worry about the infographics for now, just get the ebook. It comes with quizzes and fun activities so you won't be bored, I promise!

Get the ebook!

Aboriginal culture in a coffee cup

That's how I call my mini-course about Aboriginal culture. Shorter than the ebook it's a compact introduction into some of the important issues of Aboriginal history. It costs you around the price of a coffee, hence the title. Get it here.

Whatever you decide as your next step, don't forget to water your growing knowledge: Read, participate, ask, be open. There is so much to learn, and it is exciting!

Did I miss something? Do you have a pressing question to get started? Let me know!

Is it safe to show your support?

As you start to learn about Aboriginal culture you might also want to support their cause. But you might have concerns about doing that, just as this subscriber of mine:

I am totally in solidarity with Aboriginal people and would like to openly show people my support to their causes. But given the unfriendly reaction I've seen of some people against the Aboriginal cause, and the feeling I have that this topic is a bit of a taboo, I am concerned to show my support. 
I have only a few Australian friends and I don't know yet whether they also have sympathy for the Aboriginal people or not. I think my biggest concern is to be seen as criticising the wrongdoings of the first settlers and the government, which is not my aim.

Showing support for a minority in public can be scary and is definitely not for everyone. Quite a few Australians, especially older Caucasian males, carry underlying racism that sometimes only needs a scratch to surface.

My recommendation: If you have concerns to show your support in public or are not comfortable with it, choose indirect ways of support instead.

Indirect ways include buying Aboriginal books, movies and music, making donations, anonymously signing petitions, participating in official events (if you're shy choose those with large crowds, e.g. Australia Day), watching TED talks, participating in an organised tour (check also your local council program), subscribing to newsletters and more.

You don't need to wear the t-shirt yet. Leave that for a time when you feel confident to 'officially' support Aboriginal culture and its causes.