Aussie Childcare Network Forum

Hi I wonder if someone can help me please.

The question is.

"How might services go about identifying the potential impact of cultural factors on service delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients"


Here is what I have so far,

"A childcare service might identify the impact of the services delivery to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients by talking to them directly, asking and learning about their individual culture and acting on that feedback.
Families can be invited in to the service to be a part of the learning programe, they can educate staff and children, telling dream time stories, celebrating festival and carrying about cultural activities such as dancing, cooking, artwork and so on.
Your service can have a suggestion box and/or questionnaires; this is a great way for clients to have their say if they prefer to stay anonymous.
You can invite the local Elders in to the centre; they can help education staff with the delivery of cultural activities and festivals of the local clan."

Not sure if this is enough or even if i'm on the right track.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks
Katie

I think your response is more to do with how to implement ATSI culture in the center.

I think it has to do with how the ATSI culture is different and how their differences in culture may impact the service. For example:

Time
Aboriginal observance of time and measurement may sometimes cause concern or conflict in the workplace because it is often in contrast to non-Indigenous attitude to time. For example, a meeting may be due to start at a certain time, but it is not uncommon for an Aboriginal person to turn up long after that because they do not follow structured time and schedules. They call this Koori time.

Communication
Aboriginal English may be difficult to understand at first; you may need to have an interpreter present so the person can express themselves in their chosen language. Indigenous people are more likely to respond to an indirect question than a direct one. They may feel suspicious about the reasons for blunt questions. They may also not respond to a question where the answer is already known. Nonverbal communication is a natural part of Aboriginal communication. For instance, silence does not mean an Indigenous person does not understand; instead, they may be listening, thinking, remaining non-committal or waiting for community support or input. Time and trust may be required before people offer their opinion. They may also prefer to defer to an older or more authoritative person. It is also usual for Aboriginal meetings to be punctuated by long periods of silence and thought. In some Aboriginal cultures looking a person directly in the eye is considered rude or disrespectful. Likewise, pointing at a person when trying to emphasise something
should be avoided.

Art and religion
Indigenous people express their ceremonial and religious life through art, songs and dance. Art forms such as body painting, ground sculpture, bark painting, wood carving and rock painting and engraving can represent multiple meanings about Aboriginal ownership of the land and their relationships to ancestral beings. Often these arts forms are believed to be manifestations of original ancestors who possessed special powers.

Ref: https://aspirelr.com.au/assets/document ... hir404.pdf

Hopefully, this makes sense to you or gives you some ideas!

,
Lorina