Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Training

Aboriginal cultural awareness training is becoming an increasing priority for many Australian schools and workplaces. It is a reflection of the increasing recognition of the importance of cultural safety in the way organisations work – both internally and also in delivering services to Aboriginal communities.

Making the time for cultural awareness training is an important first step for many organisations seeking to create culturally safe workplaces as well as improve relationships with Aboriginal communities.

For schools and teachers, cultural awareness training supports connecting to truth which in turn helps teachers to find connections to what you are being asked to teach; to feel confident in selecting and teaching culturally safe content; to refine your ways of working to better support Aboriginal students; and to build stronger connections to Aboriginal communities. It is a crucial part of creating culturally safe schools.

Choosing the right training and being clear about what your intended outcomes are is important. The facilitators you are thinking of engaging should be able to talk this through with you but here are my tips to getting the most from cultural awareness training.

Be realistic about your expectations of training

The cultural awareness you develop will vary depending on who delivers your training. One session of cultural awareness training is unlikely to meet all of your objectives but it can be a step in the process of lifelong learning in this field.

In general, cultural awareness training should explore Aboriginal history and introduce concepts of culture. It should help participants to understand why Aboriginal communities face the challenges we do, and why. It should introduce culturally safe ways of working with Aboriginal communities and the reasons these approaches are so important. It is a strong foundation for building: culturally safe ways of working; productive relationships with internal and external Aboriginal stakeholders; and appreciating future learning opportunities including cultural immersion.

Cultural awareness is the start of your Aboriginal education journey. It should be the beginning of an ongoing program of learning. At Wingaru we work with organisations and schools to deliver bespoke education plans that start with cultural awareness training followed by a tailored program to meet organisational outcomes. We work in partnership with schools or organisations to support them to meet the end goal regardless of what that may be. Our approach focuses on connection. It is a process that involves trust, openness, listening and reflecting. It is training, planning and connecting organisations so they develop the relationships they need to succeed.

Take time to find the right facilitators for your for your school or organisation

As with everything in life, there are many options available for high-quality cultural awareness training. What suits one organisation or school may not suit yours. Look for suppliers that are recommended but also take time to speak with the facilitators you are considering. Are you clear on their approach? Does their approach take your organisational needs into consideration? Are you comfortable being open with the facilitators about what you are looking for and about any challenges your organisation is facing? These early conversations set the tone for your training and the outcomes that come from it. People are often nervous to talk about challenges in the workplace related to cultural safety in case they offend but if I am having a conversation with you about refining your approach to increase cultural safety I need to understand where we are starting from so we can ensure we deliver a program that is going to support your goals.

Choose First Nations suppliers

This should go without saying but use Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander suppliers for First Nations cultural awareness training. There are providers offering this training that are not part of the communities they are raising awareness about. They cannot share the stories and experience that First Nations providers can. This does impact on the quality of your training. Facilitators should be open about their background but don’t be afraid to politely ask if the organisation is First Nations owned and led.

There is a difference between cultural awareness and cultural immersion training

Sometimes when people contact us about cultural awareness training, it becomes clear that they are expecting cultural immersion training. Cultural awareness focuses on understanding the broader environment, the impact of history, ways of working and community connections while cultural immersion is about connecting to a particular culture through cultural expression such as dance, art, tools and artefacts. While some programs will combine the two most will focus on one. I would recommend completing cultural awareness before seeking cultural immersion programs because understanding the history and challenges that culture has faced is an important part of truly appreciating the resilience of our spectacular culture. Your team will get more out of experiencing culture if they have an awareness of all it has faced.
If you are organising cultural immersion training try to engage local people. This doesn’t matter so much for cultural awareness but it does matter when you start to dig deeper into local cultural practices. You want to engage people who are knowledgeable but also are sharing culture with permission from local community. Culture is different in every community so make sure you are being immersed in the culture of the Country you are on.

Plan to follow up on your training

Reflection is an important part of cultural awareness training. Plan time for your team to come together and share their thoughts on the information they have gained. What did they take away from the day? Did it change their view on anything? How will they apply it to their work? Is there anything they would like to know more about or explore further? We offer a reflection session to all our cultural awareness clients because it helps individuals to get the most out of the session but it also helps your organisation plan for the next steps in your journey towards understanding and cultural safety.

If your organisation or school is considering cultural awareness training we would love help. Find our more about our program here and do not hesitate to contact us for a yarn at info@wingaru.com.au