Frequently asked questions about cultural safety

Introducing Meena Singh, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People

Before becoming the Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, for many years I developed and delivered cultural safety training to improve organisations’ capacity to support Aboriginal people and communities in receiving services, as well as supporting Aboriginal staff. The questions below reflect many I’ve had throughout this work, as well as questions that have come to the Commission for Children and Young People since the introduction of Child Safe Standard 1.

I’m answering these questions as an Aboriginal person. I cannot and do not speak for all Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people have a diversity of identity and opinions, as does everyone else. Remember there is no room for assumption, stereotypes, and racism and there is always the need for respectful conversation.

Watch the video

Commissioner Meena Singh joins Elias from our Youth Council to answer some frequently asked questions about cultural safety.

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Download a copy of these frequently asked questions or read them online below.

Frequently asked questions (PDF, 3MB)

I've heard about cultural awareness and sensitivity, and cultural competence, where does cultural safety fit in?

Great question!

You might have seen or done workshops that were called any of these things. Beginning with cultural awareness, this involves non-Aboriginal people learning about Aboriginal community, people and culture.

Cultural sensitivity involves putting this learning into practice when engaging with Aboriginal community and individuals.

Cultural safety requires reflecting on and addressing individual and organisational barriers to create inclusion for Aboriginal people.

You might have also heard of ‘cultural competence’ or ‘cultural capability’. I’ve avoided using these terms because they can imply an end point in your learning, or that a single resource or type of training is all you need. The work to create culturally safe places for Aboriginal children and young people is an ongoing journey.

What if we don’t have any Aboriginal children or young people in or engaging with our organisation? Do we still have to implement Child Safe Standard 1?

Yes.

Under Victorian law, all organisations that are subject to the Child Safe Standards must meet the requirements of all 11 Standards.

Cultural safety is about respect, understanding and inclusion, based on someone’s cultural identity. These ideas are also transferrable to other people’s identities.

Consider this: Showing respect for Aboriginal children and young people, their communities and culture shows the children and young people (and their) families of other cultures that they might also receive respect. This might extend to another child or young person who has an identity that they don’t always feel safe in sharing.

But just to ask… How do you know you do not have any Aboriginal children or young people in your organisation? What are you basing this on? How people look or act or talk? If so, this suggests you could be relying on stereotypes about Aboriginal people.

There may be Aboriginal children and young people and their families who have chosen not to tell you about their Aboriginal identity. Remember, a person does not have to disclose if they are Aboriginal or not. Part of cultural safety is providing an environment where people feel safe to not only disclose their Aboriginal identity but also to express their culture. What is your organisation doing to support and enable people to identify as Aboriginal?

How can I find out if there are Aboriginal children and young people in or engaging with our organisation?

Identity is personal. There are many parts of a person’s identity that they might not be comfortable sharing with others. It is their choice to tell others or not to.

Some Aboriginal people will proudly tell you their identity or display it in ways that make it clear that they are Aboriginal. Some will not, and there are many reasons for this, including:

• They don’t know how other people will treat them.
• They don’t want to experience discrimination, stereotypes or prejudices, such as ‘you don’t look Aboriginal’.
• They don’t want to be asked lots of questions.
• They want to know that a place is safe for them before sharing that part of themselves.

Many organisations, such as health services, hospitals and schools, must ask about the Indigenous identity of people accessing their services. If this is your type of organisation, find out what information your organisation has about going about this respectfully.

If you are new to asking about Aboriginal identity, and want to ask so you can better connect with, support and encourage engagement with Aboriginal children and young people and their families, here are some tips:

• Leave all assumptions about Aboriginal identity that are based on skin colour or personal traits and attributes behind. They are not useful to the work of cultural safety.
• Let someone know why you want to know, and how that information will be used. This goes for any personal information you are gathering about someone. Think about it from your own perspective – if someone asked you a personal question, you would want to know why, who has access to that information, and how it will be used. Never share any personal information about someone else without their clear permission and consent.
• Use questions such as ‘Do you identity as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?’ or ‘Are you Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander?’. Asking a question such as ‘You’re not Aboriginal, are you?’ not only reveals an assumption but, depending on how you say this, you could be seen as positioning Aboriginal identity as a negative.
• Seek information about Aboriginal identity using standardised club or organisation forms that are completed by everyone.
• Start a conversation and ask, ‘Is there anything you’d like me to know about you and your family that would help you feel more welcome, or make sure you get what you need from us?’ Let people know they can tell you at any time what would help them.
• Put up signs that show all identities are welcome in your organisation and encourage people to share any needs they have based on identity.
• Don’t assume a child or young person’s identity by a parent’s or another family member’s identity. Some Aboriginal children and young people will have a non-Aboriginal parent and family members.

Also remember that identifying as Aboriginal is completely voluntary. If someone says. ‘I’d prefer not to say’ or ‘I don’t want to answer that’, for whatever reason, don’t push for an answer.

There’s someone at our club who says they’re Aboriginal, but they don’t look it. Are they lying?

Take a moment to think about this from a personal perspective. How would you feel if someone challenged you on your identity, said you weren’t who you said you were? I have had my Aboriginal identity questioned many times and have been told I don’t look Aboriginal, usually by people who have a very specific and limited understanding of Aboriginal people.

It is not a pleasant experience.

Let’s unpack this.

To say someone ‘looks’ Aboriginal means that you expect them to fit a specific picture. Take a moment to reflect on what that is, and what you have been told about how Aboriginal people are ‘supposed’ to look? What has informed this?

Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, Aboriginal people’s identity was determined by how much Aboriginal blood they had in them, which in turn determined how they were treated. Laws allowing for the removal of ‘half caste’ and ‘quarter caste’ Aboriginal children from their ‘full blood’ Aboriginal parents and saying only ‘full blood’ Aboriginal people could stay on missions and reserves saw the creation of the Stolen Generation and breaking cultural and familial ties to far too many Aboriginal children and young people, not to mention intergenerational trauma.

Aboriginal people have challenged this through reclaiming Aboriginal identity by talking about connection to Aboriginal identity through bloodlines alongside cultural connection.

Remember that Child Safe Standard 1 is one way of making Aboriginal children and young people feel safe. If you’re questioning their identity, it’s highly unlikely they are going to feel safe enough to stay at your organisation or club.

I strongly encourage you to read or watch Stephen Oliver perform his poem ‘Real’ to give you a deeper understanding of why Aboriginal identity isn’t just about colour, and how hurtful challenging Aboriginal identity can be. A quick internet search will find it. Also have a look at the writings of Claire G Coleman, Dr Anita Heiss and Professor Victoria Grieves Williams on this topic.

I thought treating everyone equally was the right thing to do. Is Child Safe Standard 1 asking me to treat Aboriginal children and young people differently?

Most of us think that if we treat everyone equally, with respect and fairness, then everyone will get the same outcomes. This is a good way to behave, but not all people and communities have been treated with respect and fairness. This has created different experiences and inequality between people and communities.

Cultural safety involves understanding that, historically, Aboriginal people did not have the same opportunities as non-Aboriginal people in Australia, and so, especially for Aboriginal children and young people, we need to think about things from their perspectives. What do they need to make sure they have a positive experience? This might necessarily mean doing things a little differently for them.

While we can treat everyone the same, or equally, it might not achieve an equitable outcome. To get an equitable outcome, we need to consider what individuals need, and respond accordingly.

Consider this scenario: A sporting club has a policy that states children under the age of 13 must be picked up from the club by a mum or a dad. What might be the challenges of this? Some children may:

• not have a mum and dad, or either
• live with extended family such as aunties, uncles and grandparents or older siblings and cousins
• live in out-of-home care arrangements that have them in the care of people who are not relatives.

This is just one example of how a policy or rule that seemingly treats everyone the same actually creates challenges for people.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed a useful video about equality and equity: Let’s talk about equality and equity.

You can read more about the differences between equality and equity in the Commission’s A guide for creating a Child Safe Organisation under Child Safe Standard 5.

But, does Child Safe Standard 1 ask you to treat Aboriginal children and young people ‘differently’ or just show them respect and inclusion that recognises their Aboriginal identity is important to them?

I don’t want to be offensive, but I’m not sure what words I should use. Aboriginal, Aborigine, Indigenous, Koori...? 

People in Australia have been brought up hearing and using words such as ‘Aborigine’ and ‘half caste’ without understanding the history behind them and why many Aboriginal people find them offensive.

Individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will have their own preferences as to how they should be identified, and these should be respected and used. Words such as ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Indigenous’ are generally accepted, along with ‘First Nations’ or ‘First Peoples’. For example, Victoria has the First Peoples’ Assembly (you can find out more from the First Peoples’ Assembly website). It is also more appropriate to use the term ‘Aboriginal people’, and not ‘Aboriginals’.

Remember that words like ‘Aboriginal’ or ‘Indigenous’ have been introduced to Australia. These are words that also refer to many other communities around the world. They are not our own words.

Many Aboriginal people prefer to be referred to by the region or areas they identify with. For example, the term Koori/Koorie describes Aboriginal people of South Eastern Australia (includes Victoria and part of New South Wales). You can learn more about this on the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies website.

Deadly Story has created a short video called I love being a Koorie Kid because... that helps explain what it means for a child to identify as Koorie.

There are many hundreds of Indigenous languages from hundreds of Countries across Australia. Many Aboriginal people will prefer to use the name of their Country, such as Wurundjeri, Yorta Yorta, Gunditjmara or Taunaurong. For example, I introduce myself as a Yorta Yorta and Indian woman, to reflect my heritage and identity from my Aboriginal mother and my migrant father. Many Aboriginal people have connections to more than one Country so will say these Countries when they introduce themselves and may invite you to use these terms also. They might refer to themselves as multiclan or multination.

It all comes back to showing respect for someone’s identity. If an Aboriginal child or young person wants to tell you their Country, they’re sharing something important with you, something they take pride in. Take the time to listen and learn.

I want to make our physical space more culturally safe. Can I put up Aboriginal artwork?