M3 - Learner Manual

Despite colonial history, Aboriginal kinship and family structures remain cohesive forces which bind Aboriginal people together in all parts of Australia. They provide psychological and emotional support to Aboriginal people.

Aboriginal family obligations are often seen as nepotism by non-Indigenous Australians. There can be some confusion where they are only partly observed. If there is inconsistency with how they are kept, it makes it look like they are being used as an excuse rather than as an obligation.

Personal and work relationships and status within Aboriginal communities are important, as they connect and reconnect people to relatives, broader tribal groups, and back into communities. They also are central to how people identify themselves. Today many people in urban, regional and rural setting often introduce themselves by their family group and then tribal affiliations.

Personal relationships can often impact work relationships. People are expected to declare involvement and relationship. for instance, if you are appointed to an interview panel, you are expected to declare any family ties, personal or business relationship as this may present a conflict of interest. With Indigenous people, second and third cousins are often viewed as part of the close network, which may confuse people who are not engaged directly in the community. This can create some complication and requires considerable finesse, when meeting obligations to family and meeting the rule of law and best practice at the same time.

Bureaucratic structures set up by non-Indigenous people and organisations (such as the government) often fail because they do not account for kinship structures and whose authority counts. Those set up in positions of authority can only really have an influence over related individuals.