Protocols are the standards of behaviour that people use to show respect to each other. Every culture has different ways of communicating, and in order to be able to work with someone from a different culture in a respectful way then you need to understand how people from that culture communicate.

This page includes links and reviews of protocol guides developed by a range of organisations to help people understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (or Indigenous) protocols and how to work with Indigenous people in a way that is respectful of culture and community.

The guides have been designed to help community groups, government or the general public understand how to build effective partnerships with Indigenous groups and to ensure Indigenous involvement in their activities. There are also a number of guides focusing on Indigenous art and how to be respectful of Indigenous intellectual property.

Click on one of the links below or scroll down to find out more. The resources so also included below are tips about what you can use the guides for and which sections are the most useful.

Thank you to the NSW Reconciliation Council (http://www.nswrecon.com) for assistance with compiling the resources on this page.

• Welcome to Country and Acknowledgment of Country Guidelines and Protocols (NSW Dept Education)
• The Greater Perspective (Lester Bostock, SBS Television)
• Protocols for Consultation and Negotiation with Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People (Qld)
• Visiting Aboriginal Land (Northern Land Council, NT)
• Respect, Acknowledge, Listen (Community Cultural Development NSW)
• Cultures: Protocols for developing Indigenous Australian art (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Board of the Australia Council)
• Communicating Positively: A Guide to Appropriate Aboriginal Terminology (NSW Health)
• Fees for Aboriginal Cultural Performances (NSW Government Guide)
• Respecting Cultures (Tasmanian Government)
• Cultural Protocols for Indigenous Reporting in the Media (ABC Message Stick)
• Valuing Art, Respecting Culture (National Association of the Visual Arts)
• Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies (Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies)
• Responsibilities and Responses (National Library)
• National Protocol for Filmmakers (Australian Film Commission)
• Working With Aboriginal Communities: A guide to community consultation and protocols (Board of Studies NSW)

COMING SOON TO THIS PAGE: IMAGES BY ADAM HILL. For details of the artwork included in this site visit the Artworks on this site page.

Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country Guidelines and Protocols for NSW Public Schools and TAFE (Department of Education and the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group, 2004)
http://www.aboriginaleducation.nsw.edu.au/welcomecountry.pdf
A good, concise introductory guide to protocols, what they mean and why they are important, including suggested words for performing an Acknowledgment of Country at official events. Developed in NSW but general info is useful for everyone. Suitable for use by teachers, students and members of the community.

The Greater Perspective, Protocol and Guidelines for the Production of Film and Television on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities (SBS Television, a publication by Lester Bostock)
http://www.sbs.com.au/sbsi/sbs_booklet.pdf
This popular publication by respected Indigenous elder Lester Bostock was first produced in 1990, and has since been reprinted and put online. Although produced to assist people working in television and radio it has an excellent introduction and overview about Indigenous culture and history, as well as how to understand the different ways that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people communicate, and the key things to be respectful of and sensitive to.
Protocols for Consultation and Negotiation with Aboriginal People (Dept. of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy and Development, Brisbane)
http://www.indigenous.qld.gov.au/resources/cultures.cfm
This site has two publications designed for government officers who need to consult with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, groups or individuals in Queensland. The Aboriginal publication is quite long but worth skimming through though, especially the sections on Aboriginality, what it means to ‘consult’ with Aboriginal people, and practical things how to work with Aboriginal people around projects, for example who to approach, how to hold a community meeting and how to communicate well.

Proper Communication with Torres Strait Islander Peoples (Mina Mir Lo Ailan Mun)
http://www.indigenous.qld.gov.au/resources/cultures.cfm
This publications is also designed for government officers who need to consult with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, groups or individuals in Queensland. The first section gives background to Torres Strait Islander culture and history, and the second section focuses on cross-cultural communication.

Visiting Aboriginal land (Northern Land Council, Northern Territory)
http://www.nlc.org.au/html/visit_media.html
Information for researchers and media, this guide covers when and how to get permission from local Aboriginal people, the role of the Land Council, cultural considerations and copyright. Note that this guide gives some good general info but is for Northern Territory communities, so refers to local Aboriginal protocols and the specific government laws that cover Aboriginal lands in the NT - for example the permit system. Other states and Aboriginal groups have different rules. If you are planning to visit areas that may include sites of importance to Indigenous people, or generally if you are planning to travel through lands that are managed or controlled by Indigenous people, for example some National Parks, it is important to do research about the rules and protocols beforehand by contacting your local Indigenous land council, government agency or tourism body.

Respect, Acknowledge, Listen
http://www.ccdnsw.org/ccdnsw/pdf/protocols.pdf
This publication was produced by Community Cultural Development NSW Ltd, 2003. The provides practical protocols to assist everyone with ways of working and communicating with the Indigenous community of Western Sydney, but includes accessible information which is useful for other communities.

Cultures: Protocols for developing Indigenous Australian art (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Board of the Australia Council)
http://www.ozco.gov.au/artsResources.aspx (and Search for Publications):

• Song cultures: protocols for producing Indigenous Australian music
• Writing cultures: protocols for producing Indigenous Australian literature
• New media cultures: protocols for producing Indigenous Australian new media
• Performing cultures: protocols for producing Indigenous Australian performing arts
• Visual cultures: protocols for producing Indigenous Australian visual arts and craft

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board of the Australia Council has produced these five Indigenous protocol guides. The guides reflect the complexity of Indigenous Australian culture, and provide information and advice on respecting Indigenous cultural heritage. Very well respected guides that give useful advice for anyone wanting to work in partnership with Indigenous people around projects.

Communicating Positively: A Guide to Appropriate Aboriginal Terminology (NSW Department of Health) Copy can be downloaded c/ NSW Reconciliation Council at www.nswrecon.com/resources/resource_categories/protocols/.
This guide was developed to assist NSW Health staff to communicate more effectively with their Indigenous clients. It explores the correct terminology to describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as terms associated with Aboriginal communities and community organisations. This overview will be helpful in gaining a better understanding of the historical, political and cultural context around this terminology.

Fees for Aboriginal Cultural Performances (Department of Aboriginal Affairs, NSW)
http://www.daa.nsw.gov.au/policies/policyreeperformance.html
These guidelines have been developed for NSW Government Agencies when engaging Aboriginal people in cultural performances or when conducting a Welcome to Country. Includes a suggested fee structure for government and business wanting to engage an Indigenous group or person for a Welcome to Country or performance, but remember that many Indigenous groups have their own standard fees for performances.

Respecting Cultures (Arts Tasmania’s Aboriginal Advisory Committee)
http://www.arts.tas.gov.au/ (and search Publications or by name of booklet)
A guide designed to be read in conjunction with the Cultures: Protocols for developing Indigenous Australian Art by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Board of the Australia Council (above). Includes an overview of the history and culture of Tasmania’s Aboriginal people.

Cultural Protocols for Indigenous Reporting in the Media , Message Stick Online, ABC, NSW, http://abc.net.au/message/proper/
Message Stick has produced this Indigenous Protocol site hoping to assist journalists, filmmakers, producers and documentary makers to understand the importance of abiding by Indigenous Protocols. This document has been written as a guide to help bridge the gap between the needs of Television and Film makers and the Indigenous people and their customs (refer p.37 for ethics and codes of conduct).

Valuing Art, Respecting Culture (National Association for the Visual Arts, Sydney) http://www.visualarts.net.au/files/VARCes.pdf
A very detailed set of guidelines (106 pages), for working with the Indigenous visual art and craft sector.

Guidelines for Ethical Research in Indigenous Studies (The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies)
www.aiatsis.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/2290/ethics_guidelines.pdf
These guidelines have been compiled by AIATSIS and are mandatory reading for those applying for Institute research grants, and useful reading for any scholar intending to conduct research in Indigenous Australia.

Responsibilities and Responses: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols for libraries, archives and information services (National Library, Canberra)
http://www.nla.gov.au/niac/libs/byrne.html
These protocols are intended to guide the institutions in such areas as the content and perspectives of collections, intellectual property issues, accessibility and use, classification of materials, handling of both secret, sacred and offensive materials, governance and management, staffing education and training and the role of agencies in developing awareness of Indigenous peoples.

National Protocol for Filmmakers (Australian Film Commission)
http://www.afc.gov.au/filminginaustralia/indigproto/fiapage_9.aspx
These draft guidelines are currently under development but are available online for comment. The National Protocol is for filmmakers working with Indigenous content in both drama and documentary.

Working With Aboriginal Communities: A guide to community consultation and protocols (Board of Studies NSW)

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/aboriginal_research/pdf_doc/work_aborig_comm.pdf

A guide produced by the NSW Board of Studies on community consultation and protocols, aimed at an educational and school context.

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