Your Path Forward

# Your Path Forward You've read the guide. Now what? This final chapter gives you concrete actions to take, answers to the questions you're probably asking yourself, and a framework for making Indigenous engagement part of how you practice — not just something you do occasionally. ## Three Things to Do on Every Project ### 1. Start with Country **Before you do anything else, find out whose Country you're on.** Use the **AIATSIS Map** to identify Traditional Owners. In Victoria, check **ACHRIS** for cultural heritage sensitivity. Make early contact with the relevant **Registered Aboriginal Party** and research what this place means to the people who belong to it. → **[AIATSIS Map of Indigenous Australia](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia)** --- ### 2. Follow Protocols  _Fig. 10.2: The AIATSIS Code of Ethics — foundational guidance for ethical engagement.²_ **Learn the right way to engage, then do it.** Know the difference between Welcome and Acknowledgement, and use appropriate language (see Chapter 5). Pay properly for Indigenous knowledge and time, and allow enough time for community consultation. → **[AIATSIS Guidelines for Ethical Research](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/guidelines-ethical-research-australian-indigenous-studies)** --- ### 3. Build Relationships  _Fig. 10.3: The Connecting with Country Framework — guidance for long-term relationship building.³_ **Engagement is about relationships, not transactions.** Connect with communities before you need something from them. Put Indigenous voices at the centre of design discussions, stay connected after the project ends, and be accountable to the communities you work with. → **[Reconciliation Australia: Building Relationships](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/building-relationships/)** --- ## Advice By Practice Size ### Sole Practitioners / Small Practices Start with yourself. Build your own knowledge through reading and professional development. Attend cultural awareness training. Develop a simple engagement protocol you apply to all projects, no matter how small. For projects needing deeper engagement than you can provide alone, partner with firms or consultancies who have established relationships. Build engagement costs into your fees from the start — don't treat them as optional. ### Medium Practices Create formal Indigenous engagement policies for your whole team. Consider a Reflect RAP as a structured starting point.⁴ Assign someone specific responsibility for Indigenous engagement. Build ongoing relationships with local Traditional Owner groups that outlast individual projects. ### Large Practices Implement engagement frameworks across all offices. Pursue an Innovate or Stretch RAP. Hire Indigenous staff. Support Indigenous graduates entering the profession. Use your influence to lift industry standards — lead by example, advocate for change. --- ## Where to Keep Learning **Professional Development** — Koorie Heritage Trust (cultural education programs), Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria / IADV (built environment focus), and the AIA First Nations Committee (industry guidance for architects). **Indigenous Business** — Supply Nation (directory of verified Indigenous businesses), Kinaway (Victorian Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce), and local Land Councils for direct community connections. **Research** — NESP Urban Hub (urban Indigenous research), university Indigenous research centres (academic partnerships), and Lowitja Institute (health and wellbeing, relevant for community facilities). --- ## Questions You're Probably Asking Use this section as a practical decision aid: define the principle, apply a minimum action, then escalate if risk remains. ### "What if they don't want to engage?" **Principle:** Respect community autonomy. **Minimum action:** Ask whether another time or method would be preferred, avoid pushing for justification, and document your engagement attempt. **Escalation action:** If project risk remains high, pause and reassess scope with Traditional Owner guidance rather than proceeding by assumption. ### "How much should I budget?" **Principle:** Engagement is core project work, not optional overhead. **Minimum action:** Set a dedicated line item for engagement costs. As a rough guide: - **Small projects:** 2-5% of professional fees - **Medium projects:** 5-10% of professional fees - **Large/significant projects:** Scope engagement as a separate line item with community input Include consulting fees, meeting costs, travel, accommodation, and community administration support. **Escalation action:** For significant projects, co-define scope and budget with community input before locking design fees. ### "What if I disagree with community feedback?" Community feedback isn't just input to consider — it's guidance from the people who know this Country best. If feedback conflicts with your design intent: listen to understand the concern. Explain your constraints honestly. Explore alternatives together. Be willing to change course. If you reach an impasse on matters concerning their Country, the community's wishes should prevail. ### "How do I handle sacred information?" Ask explicitly what can and cannot be shared or recorded. Never assume permission extends beyond the specific purpose granted. Store sensitive information securely with restricted access, and return or destroy materials when requested. When uncertain, ask. ### "Can I use Indigenous patterns or artwork?" Not without explicit permission. You need identification of the knowledge owner(s), explicit informed consent for the specific use, a written agreement on attribution, compensation, and limitations, and an ongoing relationship with accountability.⁵ See the ICIP section in Chapter 4 for detailed guidance. ### "How do I know I'm talking to the right people?" Use multiple sources: the **AIATSIS Map** for language group identification, the **Native Title Tribunal** for registered claims, **state registers** (ACHRIS in Victoria), and **local Land Councils** for regional guidance. Be aware that multiple groups may have legitimate connections to Country. ### "Can small projects skip engagement?" No. Scale the engagement to the project, but never skip it entirely. At minimum: acknowledge whose Country you're on, check cultural heritage sensitivity, and document your approach. ### "My client won't fund proper engagement" **Principle:** This is an ethics and compliance issue, not a preference issue.⁶ **Minimum action:** - Educate them on NSCA 2021 obligations - Make engagement costs non-negotiable in your fees - Explain legal, reputational, and ethical risks **Escalation action:** - Consider declining the project - If they proceed without proper engagement, document your advice formally ### "How do I convince skeptical colleagues?" Focus on facts and outcomes: - NSCA 2021 requires Indigenous engagement competency - Case studies show better design and community outcomes - Clients and regulators increasingly expect this - Lead by example rather than arguing ### "What if I make a mistake?" You will. What matters is how you respond: 1. **Acknowledge** the mistake honestly 2. **Listen** to understand the impact 3. **Apologise** without excuses 4. **Learn** and change your practice 5. **Rebuild** trust through consistent, respectful action Handled well, mistakes can strengthen relationships. Defensiveness destroys them. --- ## The Long View Indigenous engagement doesn't end. There's no certificate you earn, no box you tick, no finish line you cross. Every project is an opportunity to do better. Every relationship you build carries forward. Every mistake you learn from improves your practice. **Set a practical cadence:** - **Per project:** Confirm engagement scope, protocols, and evidence records at project start. - **Quarterly:** Review outcomes, gaps, and unresolved commitments with your team. - **Annually:** Update policy, training, and relationship goals with Traditional Owner input. **Listen** when you're told something isn't appropriate. **Learn** from mistakes and do better. **Lead** by example. **Lift** Indigenous voices. This guide is a starting point. The real learning happens through genuine engagement with Indigenous peoples, communities, and knowledge systems. --- ## Acknowledgement This guide was developed on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters, and culture. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Sovereignty was never ceded. --- ## References ¹ AIATSIS. _Map of Indigenous Australia_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia](https://aiatsis.gov.au/explore/map-indigenous-australia) ² AIATSIS. (2020). _AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research) ³ Government Architect NSW. (2020). _Connecting with Country Draft Framework_. [https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country](https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/government-architect-nsw/policies-and-frameworks/connecting-with-country) ⁴ Reconciliation Australia. _Reconciliation Action Plans_. [https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/](https://www.reconciliation.org.au/reconciliation-action-plans/) ⁵ AIATSIS. _Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP)_. [https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property](https://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property) ⁶ Architects Accreditation Council of Australia. (2021). _National Standard of Competency for Architects_. [https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf](https://aaca.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021-NSCA-Explanatory-Notes.pdf) --- ## Thank You Thank you for reading this guide. Your commitment to respectful Indigenous engagement matters — for communities, for Country, and for the future of Australian architecture. **Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.** --- → **[Return to Guide Contents](/guides/country)** --- _Guide developed by CLAD — Carey Landwehr Architecture & Design_ _Resources compiled from publicly available Indigenous-authored and endorsed materials_