Engaging with First Nations Communities
While Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have diverse languages, cultures and customs, a shared foundation across Nations is a deep connection to Country and strong cultural responsibilities to care for land, waterways and community. Engagement processes can be significantly strengthened when First Nations voices, knowledge and perspectives are meaningfully included.
The following reflections are some of the core learnings that have been shaped by engaging with First Nations people and communities who have trusted us with their time, knowledge and experiences.
Start with Country and context
Taking the time to learn the Country of where the people/organisation/group you are engaging with is paramount as it will help inform their current context. This is also not limited to First Nations people who are from that particular Country (Traditional Owners) but also organisations that operate on lands as well as First Peoples who live there but are not traditional owners.
It is also important to consider previous engagement and what the current relationship between Council and these orgs is like. Past experiences will have an influence on levels of trust and expectations.
Relationships over outcomes
Best practice community engagement involves long term thinking and relationship building. Unfortunately we are often instead driven by adhering to tight timelines and budgets to deliver outcomes without having the groundwork of relationships.
It is especially important to prioritise relationships, trust and continuity when engaging with First Nations people, communities and organisations. In some cases, time and effort may be required to rebuild trust before progressing to project-based engagement.
Taking time to build trust, showing up consistently, and being transparent about intentions and constraints creates a foundation for meaningful engagement and better outcomes over the long term.
Relevance of the project
Self-determination recognises the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make decisions about their own futures, including social, cultural and economic development. Engagement approaches should support this principle and be clear about how the project aligns with community priorities and aspirations.
You should also be open to feedback about why there is a lack of interest from community and understand why this might be the case - perhaps the invitation for involvement feels tokenistic or maybe they have been involved in the past and their input wasn’t properly considered in decision-making. Understanding this can help in improving the process for next time.
Consistency and transparency
From the project inception it is vital to be clear and transparent about the following:
The purpose and scope of engagement
Who is leading the project
How decisions will be made
This information should be shared in accessible formats and avoid jargon. Provide regular updates and communicate openly throughout the project lifecycle. Face-to-face engagement should also be prioritised where possible.
Cultural safety and inclusion
You should strive to create culturally safe engagement spaces. Cultural safety involves recognising power imbalances, reflecting on personal and organisational bias, and supporting genuine participation. As a foundation, cultural awareness training for staff can be organised through local Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation (ACCO) to support understanding of intergenerational trauma and the impacts of colonisation.
Respecting Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing
We have learned to be clear about how information will be used, who will benefit, and how communities will be acknowledged or compensated. Data sovereignty, consent and ongoing stewardship are essential considerations in the engagement process and beyond.
This plays a key part of valuing and acknowledging Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing by avoiding assumptions that Western systems or processes are the default or preferred approach.
Ongoing learning and unlearning
Working with First Nations communities has required us to reflect critically on our own assumptions, professional habits and institutional norms. Sometimes the most important learning has been about what we need to unlearn.
This is ongoing work that often involves making mistakes. Rather than trying to be perfect 100% of the time it is better to be accountable and stay open to feedback. Growth comes from staying in the conversation, not stepping away when it gets hard.