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Wiradjuri and First Nations Community CULTURAL PROTOCOLS

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Wiradjuri and First Nations Community CULTURAL PROTOCOLS Wiradjuri and First Nations Community CULTURAL PROTOCOLS A GUIDE FOR COUNCILLORS AND COUNCIL STAFF 1 1 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are warned that the following publication may contain names and images of deceased persons. Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................... 3 1.1. Acknowledgement .............................................. 3 1.2 Purpose ........................................................ 3 2. Brief history of the Wagga Wagga area ............................ 5 3. Cultural Information............................................... 7 3.1 The Stolen Generations .......................................... 7 3.2 Elders .......................................................... 7 4. Cultural Practices ................................................. 8 4.1 Using the term Aboriginal, Indigenous and Wiradjuri and First Nations . 8 4.2 Gender Protocols (Men’s and Women’s Business) ................... 8 4.3 Sacred Sites ..................................................... 9 4.4 Naming the Deceased ........................................... 9 4.5 Welcome to Country ........................................... 10 4.6 Acknowledgement of Country ................................... 10 4.7 Smoking Ceremony ............................................ 11 5. Fees for service .................................................. 13 6. Community Engagement ........................................ 14 7. Reconciliation .................................................... 15 8. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags ........................ 17 9. Significant dates and events for our community .................. 18 Bibliography ...................................................... 19 Version 1.2 | June 2021 2 1 Introduction 1.1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1.2 PURPOSE Wagga Wagga City Council Protocols are an important part of all acknowledges the traditional cultures and are in place to ensure custodians of the land, the Wiradjuri people behave and interact in an people, and pays respect to Elders appropriate manner. past, present and future and extends The aim of this document is to our respect to all First Nations Peoples provide a comprehensive resource in Wagga Wagga. for all Council personnel to use when We recognise and respect their cultural liaising, consulting and engaging heritage, beliefs and continuing with the Wiradjuri and First Nations connection with the land and rivers. Community. We also recognise the resilience, This document also provides cultural strength and pride of the Wiradjuri and and historical context to assist Council First Nations communities. personnel when working with the local community. Observing cultural protocols of a community demonstrates respect for the cultural traditions, history, diversity and the continued connection to Country of that community. It illustrates a willingness to acknowledge that the processes and procedures of one cultural community are equally valid and worthy of the same respect as one’s own cultural protocols. Cross cultural engagement requires patience, understanding and a commitment from all parties. 3 4 2 Brief history OF THE WAGGA WAGGA AREA Wagga Wagga local government area Wagga Wagga is also an increasingly is located on traditional Wiradjuri culturally diverse local government Country in the Riverina region of area, and is a recognised Refugee southern New South Wales. The Welcome zone. It is a youthful and name of the City was derived from vibrant community, with a higher than the language of the Wiradjuri people, average proportion of persons in the the largest Aboriginal Nation in New 12-24 age group. South Wales. The word Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga has a higher than state comes from the Wiradjuri word Waga average representation of Aboriginal meaning a place to dance. Waga and Torres Strait Islander people. Waga, meaning a place of dance, For an in depth look at Wagga’s place of celebration. The repetition of community profile, go to www.profile. a word expresses plural or emphasis, id.com.au/wagga-wagga/home. emphasis meaning special importance. Thus, Wagga Wagga could mean a For more information on the history place of many celebrations or a place of Wagga Wagga please look at the of many dances. Wiradjuri Heritage Study, go to www. http://www.wagga.nsw.gov.au/ The name Wiradjuri means, ‘people of city-of-wagga-wagga/community/ the three rivers’ and traditionally these aboriginal-services/wiradjuri- rivers (Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and heritage-study. Macquarie) were the primary source of food for the Wiradjuri people. Wagga Wagga continues to be the traditional home of many Wiradjuri people. After years of Wagga being a government resettlement zone for Aboriginal people, it is now also home to First Nations Peoples from many surrounding Nations. 5 Image: Wes Boney 6 3 Cultural Information 3.1 THE STOLEN 3.2 ELDERS GENERATIONS Elders are members of the community who have been through various levels The Stolen Generations are the of initiations and hold the knowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of their people’s history, kinship individuals who were removed systems, and cultural lore (equating from their families through official to European Law) that govern their government policy from 1909 to community. 1969. In 1883 the NSW Government established the Aboriginal Protection They are the custodians of their Board taking control over nearly people’s traditional knowledge and all aspects of Aboriginal people’s customs and hold the responsibility lives, including the power to remove to provide guidance on important Aboriginal children without parental matters as well as making decisions consent or a court order. on the ceremonial and cultural obligations of their people. The City of Wagga Wagga is committed to the recognition of Sorry Day and acknowledges the lasting sorrow caused by past policy and 3.3 TOTEMS laws regarding the forced removal of The “Gugaa” (Goanna) is the Aboriginal children. overarching totem for the Wiradjuri For further information on the history Nation. It is the symbol that connects of the Stolen Generations, go to all people, past and present, of www.nsdc.org.au/stolen- Wiradjuri land. generations-history. 7 4 Cultural Practices 4.1 USING THE RECOMMENDED PRACTICE: TERMS ABORIGINAL, Refer to ‘Aboriginal people’ and INDIGENOUS AND ‘Aboriginal community’ not WIRADJURI AND FIRST ‘Aborigines’. Use capitals whenever Aboriginal or Indigenous are written. NATIONS Abbreviation of “Aboriginal and Locally, Aboriginal is the preferred Torres Strait Islander” to “ATSI” is term when referring to Australia’s deemed inappropriate and at all First People and should always be stages the full words should be adjoined to people, community etc. written. It is also respectful to use a capital The term Wiradjuri and First Nations letter when using both Aboriginal people can be used interchangeably and Indigenous in the written form. with Aboriginal. This term is preferred It is highly offensive to question how in Council’s official documentation ‘Aboriginal’ a person is who identifies to demonstrate an understanding as Aboriginal. by Council of the many Nations Aboriginal people come from across The term ‘Wiradjuri and First Nations’ Australia and the importance of the peoples or community demonstrates Wiradjuri Nation on which we work a further understanding that Australia and play. was many Nations prior to European settlement and acknowledges the sovereign owners of the land on which Wagga Wagga sits, the Wiradjuri 4.2 GENDER PROTOCOLS Nation. (MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BUSINESS) It is important to be aware that there are matters where Wiradjuri and First Nations peoples view specific knowledge as sacred to men or women. This can vary between different First Nations Communities. 8 4.3 SACRED SITES 4.4 NAMING THE Sacred sites are places of cultural DECEASED significance to Wiradjuri and First Following the death of an Aboriginal Nations people. They may be hills, person, it is offensive to show rocks, trees and springs that are not photographic images of the always spectacular or interesting to the deceased or refer to them by name non-Wiradjuri and First Nations eye. in publications during the mourning They may be places that are significant period, unless agreed to by the because they mark a particular act of relevant family. The mourning period a creation or being. They also include is not a set timeframe and may change burial grounds and places where depending on each family unit. particular ceremonies have been held. Wiradjuri people have identified a RECOMMENDED PRACTICE: number of significant sites in the Wagga Wagga area. A number of these sites ‘To avoid causing offence to the have been gazetted in recent years. families of deceased persons, the following cultural warning Further information on significant sites may be used in publications, can be found under Wiradjuri and First videos, websites and exhibitions- Nations Community Information at “Aboriginal and Torres Strait wagga.nsw.gov.au/city-of-wagga- Islander people are warned wagga/community/aboriginal- that the following film/website/ services/aboriginal-significant-sites. publication may contain voices/ Under the National Parks and Wildlife video/images of deceased Act 1974, the Office of Environment and persons.” Heritage, through the National Parks Where family contact details can and Wildlife Service is responsible for be located it is recommended the care, control and management of that agreement and approval is all ‘on park’ or reserved
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