For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, avoidance of eye contact is customarily a gesture of respect. In Western society averting gaze can be viewed as being dishonest, rude Page 2 or showing lack of interest.
Eye Contact: Eye contact should be maintained directly as it translates sincerity, trustworthiness and approachability. However, it is important to break eye contact intermittently as holding it for prolonged periods can make Australians feel uncomfortable.
It's best to avoid eye contact at first and look away while you are talking. It is a gesture of respect. Direct eye contact may be viewed as aggression, rudeness and disrespectful. Always observe the other person's body language, then use it to guide your own facial expressions and body language.
Their dark skin reflects an African origin and a migration and residence in latitudes near the equator, unlike Europeans and Asians whose ancestors gained the paler skin necessary for living in northern latitudes.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, avoidance of eye contact is customarily a gesture of respect. In Western society averting gaze can be viewed as being dishonest, rude Page 2 or showing lack of interest.
Aboriginal culture is based on respect, for the land and for their elders. Not showing respect is one of the biggest mistakes non-Aboriginal people do when interacting with Aboriginal culture.
Assimilationist terms such as 'full-blood,' 'half-caste' and 'quarter-caste' are extremely offensive and should never be used when referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In Aboriginal culture it is taboo to mention (or in some cases write) the name of a deceased person. Aboriginal people believe that if the deceased person's name is mentioned, the spirit is called back to this world.
This can be done by performing an Acknowledgement of Country or arranging for a Welcome to Country at gatherings. We do this to show respect for the ongoing connection to place and the traditional ownership of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of our country.
However, those with Indigenous ancestry might use the term to refer to themselves or other Indigenous peoples. 'First Nations,''Aboriginal,' and more recently, 'Indigenous' are more current and are preferred by many in the community, though each has particular nuances.
An introduction should include who you are and where you come from, which means your family's cultural and geographical background prior to being a settler in North America.
'Yindyamarra is “respect” and “gentleness” and “kindness” all in one,' she says. 'Respect on its own is so harsh. There are corners to that word.
For example, in African-American cultures, eye contact with authority figures may be viewed as disrespectful. Similarly, among some Asian groups, eye contact between strangers could be considered shameful. In some Latino cultures sustained eye contact may be viewed as disrespectful.
Shame may be felt as a result of: • a lack of respect • embarrassment • self importance/self promotion • rudeness • a breach of accepted Aboriginal “norms” and/or taboos A shame job is an an event which causes a person shame or embarrassment.
With eye contact, there's a three second rule. If you hold someone's gaze for longer than three seconds, you enter a situation known as "kiss or kill". Longer eye contact signals one of two things - either you are attracted to the person or you want to attack them.
Direct questioning is generally considered rude in Aboriginal culture.
Although most men had only one wife at a time, polygyny was considered both legitimate and good. The average number of wives in polygynous unions was 2 or 3. The maximum in the Great Sandy Desert was 5 or 6; among the Tiwi, 29; among the Yolngu, 20 to 25, with many men having 10 to 12.
Among some Aboriginal groups, at least, marriages were often polygynous (with a husband having two or more wives): a wife, on the other hand, would have only one husband at a time, although usually she would be married to several husbands in succession, as the former husband died or the marriage broke up.
It's basic courtesy to always ask before filming or taking photos of a person, a group of people or cultural ceremonies. When it comes to caves and rock art sites, don't rush ahead and clamber over the rocks for a photo opportunity. Reproductions and photographs of deceased Indigenous people are absolutely prohibited.
To make sure that no Indigenous Australian misses out on these opportunities to reduce their risks and improve their health, we ask every patient whether they are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
'Are you [is the person] of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin? ' Patients may be asked the question in person or over the phone, or asked to complete a form. It is important that the question is asked exactly as it is worded.
The ONLY, effective and accurate way to identify someone of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin is to ask the question. “Are you of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin?”
"(Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country) is a very important way of giving Aboriginal people back their place in society … It's paying respect, in a formal sense, and following traditional custom in a symbolic way.”