Australia’s Indigenous Culture
Thursday, May 15th, 2008Respecting Australia’s Oldest Communities
By: Phoenix Arrien
Travelling to Australia is a lot like many Western countries and you can pretty much get around without too many gaffs and goofs.
However there are also other cultures within Australia. We have a multi-cultural society and you will find different restaurants, places of worship, festivals and places where you need to be aware of different customs.
The indigenous Australian culture requires some thought before you go visit an aboriginal community, festival or accommodation.
You can make the most of the contact with local Australian communities by:
- Learning about Australian history and customs before you go
- Be sensitive to local Australian, eating, drinking and even toileting practices
- Ask permission to take pictures
- Try to learn some of the indigenous Australian language, even if only hello and goodbye
- Treat everyone as equals, but don’t assume that you can talk to everyone
The rewards that you get in return are priceless.
