Cultural Awareness Training

Here we start our journey into First Nations Cultures together. During our cultural awareness training we will explore various topics such as identities, our flags, kinship and the significance of Country. It aims to foster understanding, respect, and engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, touching the heart and soul of our shared heritage.

This training session dives deep into the heart and soul of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, exploring the sacred separation of men`s and women’s business, the importance of holistic healing practices, the devastating impacts of colonisation, and the ongoing efforts toward reconciliation and closing the gap. Attendees will gain a profound understanding of the rich traditions, struggles, and resilience of First Nations peoples, fostering empathy, respect, and a commitment to positive change.

This training session starts to unpack respectful language usage when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, emphasising the importance of acknowledging their distinct identities and avoiding terms that may cause offence or harm their cultural heritage. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the historical context, ongoing challenges, and the need for cultural sensitivity in fostering meaningful interactions and promoting social justice for First Nations peoples.

In this session, we explore the significance of cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals within our communities and organisations. We discuss practical strategies to cultivate safe work environments, address cultural biases, and foster genuine engagement, aiming to mitigate issues such as cultural loading, black cladding, tokenism and unconscious biases that can impact our interactions with First Nations peoples.

Our last session in this training series aims to equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to begin their journey to meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, fostering stronger relationships and promoting cultural safety and respect. We will cover topics such as, Understanding the importance of acknowledging dates of significance, effective communication strategies and understanding diversity in engagement protocols,  and how to build meaningful and reciprocal partnerships.

Participants will be guided through activities to create an action plan for implementing what they have covered over the five sessions and be able to craft their own personalised Acknowledgement of Country, reflecting their own research.