Source: Connecting to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture
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CONNECTING TO ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER CULTURE: A resource to help Carers connect children and young people in their care to their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture 1 2 CONTENTS Page 4 What can I do to support an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child or young person? Page 5 South Australian Aboriginal Communities Page 6 South Australian Languages Page 7 Department for Child Protection responsibilities and tools Page 9 Foster Care Agency supports Page 10 Cultural Immersion and Aboriginal Community Councils Page 13 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Service Providers and Programs Page 16 Additional Resources Page 17 Significant dates and events Page 20 Acknowledgements 3 Speak with your child’s case worker or foster care agency to find out any cultural background, history or Explore ways to use heritage. Engage in their services, language through programs, tools or seek referrals if conversation, everyday Learn through play, necessary. tasks and activities books, games, craft (pg. 7-8, 9) and activities that they (pg. 13-15, 16, 17-18) enjoy (pg. 13-15, 16, 17-18) What can I do to support an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Immerse Carer and child in culture wherever possible Listen to ATSI radio, child connect to their culture? YouTube, videos or (pg. 10-12, 13-15, 16, 17-18) songs and download apps (pg. 16) Be culturally inclusive in your home – by including an ATSI perspective and Approach your local having ATSI paintings and artwork, council, ask an elder songs and music, food, dolls/toys, or community group. fabric, books, or photos, pictures and posters. (pg. 10-12, 17-18) (pg. 16) 4 South Australian Communities There are four regions which represent the Aboriginal Communities in South Australia: Spencer, Eyre, Desert, and Riverine. While these four regions vastly spread into other states and territories, Spencer and Desert are the largest mass areas in South Australia. Amongst these four regions are individual communities and language groups. An Aboriginal person can identify as belonging to a community, region and language group. Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (Far North West SA) ▪ Pukatja (Ernabella) ▪ Yunyarini ▪ Amata ▪ Pipalyatjara ▪ Mimili ▪ Iwantja (Indulkana) ▪ Kaltjiti (Fregon) ▪ Watarru ▪ Kalka ▪ Umuwa Maralinga Tjarutja Lands (Far West of South Australia) ▪ Oak Valley Other Communities ▪ Yalata (West Coast) ▪ Dunjiba (Oodnadatta) ▪ Koonibba (West Coast) ▪ Point Pearce (near Port Victoria) ▪ Port Lincoln Aboriginal ▪ Raukkan (near Meningee) Community Council ▪ Umoona (adj to Coober Pedy) ▪ Gerard (Riverland) ▪ Kalparrin (Murray Bridge) ▪ Nepabunna (Flinders Ranges) ▪ Davenport (Port Augusta) A full Australia wide map of Aboriginal groups can be found at: http://www.reconciliationsa.org.au/learn/map-of-aboriginal-australia and https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/articles/aiatsis-map-indigenous-australia 5 Acknowledgement: Aboriginal Australia Wall Map, D R Horton, Aboriginal Studies Press, 1996 Aboriginal Languages In South Australia there were once between 40 and 50 different Aboriginal Further information and resources languages; some which crossed between the neighbouring states of Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern SNAICC – Supporting Carers to care for our children Territory. Many of these languages have now disappeared or survive only in http://www.supportingcarers.snaicc.org.au/connecting-to- fragments. A small number of languages are spoken on a daily basis, these culture/connection-to-language/ are then passed onto children. Aboriginal languages still spoken widely are Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, Adnyamathanha, Arabana, Wirangu, Dieri, Mobile Language Team – Specific language information and Gugada A number of other languages are being revived by Elders http://www.mobilelanguageteam.com.au/languages/adnyamathanha such as, Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri, Narungga, Ngadjuri, Arabana and Bangarla. Far West Languages Centre ▪ Kaurna, Arabana and Pitjantjatjara are taught at Adelaide School of http://fwlc.org.au/ Languages and meet curriculum requirements http://schooloflanguages.sa.edu.au/courses-years-8-10/ ▪ Children can learn from and be exposed to cultural education through children’s centres. Children’s centres in South Australia can be found at https://decd-sa.govcms.gov.au/parenting-and-child-care/child- care/services-and-programs/childrens-centres/find-childrens-centre ▪ Refer to page 13 for Aboriginal schools and other language and community resources 6 South Australian Languages ▪ Aṉangu ▪ Malyangapa ▪ Andyamathaha ▪ Meru ▪ Antakarinya ▪ Mirning ▪ Arabana ▪ Narangga ▪ Barngarla ▪ Nakako ▪ Bindjali ▪ Nawu ▪ Bungandidj ▪ Ngadjuri ▪ Danggali ▪ Ngalea ▪ Dhirari ▪ Ngamini ▪ Dieri ▪ Ngangaruku ▪ Gugada ▪ Ngarkat ▪ Kaurna ▪ Ngarrindjeri ▪ Karangura ▪ Ngawadj ▪ Kokatha ▪ Ngayawang ▪ Kuyani ▪ Ngintait ▪ Nukunu ▪ Pitjantjatjara ▪ Paakantji ▪ Wadigali ▪ Peramangk ▪ Wilyakali ▪ Pirlatapa ▪ Wirangu ▪ Yandruwandla ▪ Yawarawarka ▪ Yankunytjatjara ▪ Yirawirung 7 Department for Child Protection (DCP): responsibilities, resources and tools DCP has two resources and tools to assist with cultural connections: an Aboriginal Cultural Identity Support Tool and an Aboriginal Life Story Book. Principle Aboriginal Consultants and Aboriginal Family Practitioners are also available to help advocate for the best interests of the child, while considering their cultural connections. As a Carer you can enquire about them, advocate for and ensure that they are being implemented or utilised as part of your child or young person’s case plan. Principle Aboriginal Consultant Principle Aboriginal Consultants (PACs) provide advice, tools, information, and advocate for referrals to other service providers. PAC assistance helps DCP staff to appropriately engage with families, identify further services required for families, identify family members and their relationships within the Aboriginal community, identify or advocate for potential kinship carers (kinship scoping) and provide cultural advice. Any time throughout a care protection order a Principle Aboriginal Consultant can be available for cultural advice and support, although often their involvement is done collaboratively with or alongside a gazetted organisation (Aboriginal Family Support Service – AFSS) or key Aboriginal community members. Aboriginal Family Practitioner This is a role provided in metropolitan and regional South Australia, in DCP office hubs for all assessments involving Aboriginal families and specifically for the Kinship Care program. An Aboriginal family practitioner is responsible for case management for Aboriginal families, co-working on child protection assessments, supporting referrals that culturally support and strengthen the safety and wellbeing, and developing and maintaining working relationships within the Aboriginal community for Aboriginal families and their children. An Aboriginal Family Practitioner within the kinship care program works with kinship families to help identify, stabilise and strengthen kinship care arrangements for the child or young person. Their duties can include supporting, training and educating kinship carers, monitoring and supporting kinship care placements, assisting with development of relationships with the Aboriginal community and facilitating links with the community and other key professionals including social workers, psychologists and other members of a child’s care team. 8 Aboriginal Cultural Identity Support Tool - ACIST The Aboriginal Cultural Identity Support Tool (ACIST) focuses on helping case workers identify, establish, reconnect and maintain connection with family, community, country and culture for children and young people in child protection. The purpose of the tool is to ensure that information is culturally appropriate and relevant, that cultural rights and needs are included, and provide an opportunity for other significant appropriate persons to be involved in the decision making for Aboriginal children and young people. Completing and working within the guidelines of the tool can involved gathering information through communicating and developing relationships with family or significant others, engaging and seeking the child’s views or interest in their cultural heritage and belonging, completing eco maps and genograms, and consulting with other Aboriginal services or significant persons. An ACIST; of The ACIST should be reviewed by case workers, supervisors, and Principle Aboriginal Consultants within reasonable time frames (either 3 monthly, 6 monthly or annually); depending on the case direction or to meet the needs of the child or young person. It is the responsibility of the case worker to complete and review a child or young person’s ACIST within the relevant timeframe. As a Carer you can help support and advocate for the completion of this tool, your child or young person’s involvement in certain information gathering tasks, and how they are involved when engaging with family and other culturally significant persons. Aboriginal Life Story Book All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people under a Care and Protection Order should be given an Aboriginal Life Story Book. If your child or young person does not already have one, then as a Carer you can ask your case worker to provide one to you for each child or young person in your care. An Aboriginal Life Story book is a tool for completing Life Story work, to help track their personal and cultural journey. The Life Story Book provides