Traditional place names: Why do we use them?

Never heard of Naarm before? Guess what! You're in it. Everywhere in Australia was called something else before it had a name in English. Using traditional place names is one of the ways we pay respect to the traditional owners of this land and take small but meaningful steps towards reconciliation by recognising the names of the places our cities are built on. 

You will commonly hear the names of major cities uses interchangeably in convers... Read more

Acknowledgement of Country: What's it all about?

What is an acknowledgement of Country?

How is it different to a welcome to Country?

How do you do it?

Cultural Safety Training: Online and IRL

Attending to an offical cultural safety workshop or course can be a great way to become more confident in contributing to culturally safe environments - and it looks great on your CV!

Here are some workshops facilitated by First Nations community members online and in the greater Melbourne area:

Academic resources

We strongly encourage you to use your assessments as opportunities to learn more about Aboriginal culture and history, it is a great way to grow your cultural awareness and competency and to share what you've learned with your classmates.

It can be hard to know if you're getting your information from a reputable source, especially when the knowledge area of the topic is so broad and diverse. Here are some places to begin your search:

Recommended watching

The videos in this list range list range from comedy tv-shows to incredibly heavy documentaries recounting colonial trauma. Please make sure to take care when reading and seek support if needed.

Recommended reading

The books and articles in this list range from lighthearted fiction to incredibly heavy historical accounts of colonial trauma. Please make sure to take care when reading and seek support if needed.

How to deal with your problematic uncle who voted for Pauline Hanson

We get it, speaking up when someone shares an uniformed or perhaps bigoted opinion can be pretty nerve wracking. Especially when it's a family member. But bystanders never changed anyones mind. You can, without spending any money, going to any protest, or reading any book - just a few patient words can go a long way.

Here are some common scenarios and ways you can handle them:

Culture for little ones

Cultural Awareness starts young, and prejudice is a learned behaviour. It's important to start having age appropriate conversations with our little ones so that Cultural Safety becomes something inherent and lay the foundations towards decolonisation. 

Here are some tools to help:

Aboriginal excellence in your field of study

We spend so much time explaining why Aboriginal people are disadvantaged in Australian society that we often forget about the success stories. Here are some people kicking goals in career pathways that your degree might take you to.

Food Studies:

Tourism:

Hospitality:

Hotel:

Cookery:

Patisserie:

Butchery:

Pay the Rent

When you live on someone elses' land, usually you pay rent to them as your landlord. Rent hasn't been paid since 1788, and it falls to those who benefit most from colonisation to pick up the tab and right some of the wrongs.

None of us can change the past, and it isn't our fault that it happened, but we can make a choice to make sure that it doesn't continue. Mutual aid is the best way to make sure that a community is empowered to create the change that they want to see, on th... Read more

Aboriginal Arts & Culture: That's so deadly!

Deadly is a word that means "awesome" in Aboriginal-English. Unlike Fetch, we reckon this one will totally catch on. (Sorry Gretchen Weiners, better luck next time)

Here are some Aboriginal folks who are doing some pretty deadly things:

Putting our money where our mouth is

A great way to support culture and community is by supporting Aboriginal owned business in your local area - here are some we think you should check out!

Food:

Fashion:

Nightlife:

Cafe:

Upcoming events: Off-campus

Want to get more involved off campus? Here are some upcoming events that people of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend. 

Please note that these events are not run by WAI or the WAI Cultural Safety Initiative; while we have checked to see if it appropriate for non-Aboriginal people to attend it is up to you to check the rest of the details.

Upcoming events: On-campus

Want to get more involved on campus? Here are some upcoming events that people of all backgrounds are encouraged to attend.

Language classes in your area

Did you know that there are over  250 indigenous languages with over 800 dialects? We weren't kidding when we said that Aboriginal culture and identity is incredibly diverse.

Language programs are a great way to get involved with Community and celebrate Culture while learning a new skill.

Culture & Curriculum: A guide

Want to include First Nations perspectives and knowledge in your classes but not sure how? Here are some resources to get you started.

Anonymous Question Box

Want to find out about something related to First Nations Culture or Cultural Safety but you haven't been able to find a clear answer online?  Maybe you're worried that people will be upset at you for not knowing something and you're afraid to ask? Not sure if it is appropriate to ask? Don't worry, we are here to help.

First Nations Culture is incredibly diverse, it is not uncommon to hear different answers from different people. The Cultural Safety Initiative a... Read more

Australia: A colonial history

Warning: These resources contain words, descriptions, and terms which may be culturally sensitive and that reflect views of the period in which the content was created, but may not be considered appropriate today and are not reflective of the views of the WAI Cultural Safety Initiative.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that these resources may contain images, voices, and names of deceased persons.

Glossary of Terms

What does it all even mean? 

Just as you would when visiting any new country, it is important to learn a few key words to help you navigate your way as you tour the sites, try the food, and learn about the culture. 

There are so many different terms used when talking about Cultural Safety and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture. Here are some key terms that will help you on your journey towards building Cultural Safety

Can I even ask that?

Not sure if something is okay to ask? Worried it's been asked a million times already?

The following resources have all been made by First Nations peoples answering some common FAQs and debunking common stereotypes:

How can cultural safety training help with my career?

Want to know how being proficient in Cultural Safety concepts can help you be a trailblazer in the workplace? Keep reading to find out...

Worried you might be ~that~ ally?

Know that your heart is in the right place but not sure if you're getting it right? Here is a list of things to read and watch that might help you figure that out.

Can I ask that?

Cultural Safety FAQ

Can I ask that?

how to ask when you aren't sure if you can

Koorie Cultural FAQ

frequently asked things people are so over being asked 

Cultural Safety FAQ

Cultural Safety as it applies to everyone

Why is it important to Koorie students