Aboriginal Cross Cultural Awareness workshops a hit with Landgate staff

Landgate is offering staff an opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal history and culture through their program of Aboriginal Cross Cultural Awareness Workshops. 

Several workshops have been held since April this year, attracting over 120 staff. The workshops will continue in 2012 and all staff are encouraged to attend one of the sessions. 

Landgate Chief Executive Mike Bradford said the one-day workshop, also known as Wangkanij Boodja Kaatany, (the Noongar words for talking, land and thinking) was designed to increase staff understanding of Aboriginal culture and enhance cultural sensitivity when interacting with Aboriginal individuals, particularly in
the workplace. 

"The success of these workshops represents a crucial step toward realising the goals of our Aboriginal Employment Strategy. By further enhancing the inclusive atmosphere at Landgate, we hope to be able to attract, recruit and retain more Aboriginal staff," Mr Bradford said. 

Marion Chalker, a South West Noongar woman and Landgate's HR Inclusion Specialist, organised the workshops. She is proud of the work Landgate is doing to promote Aboriginal cultural awareness within the workplace. 

"If we want to be able to attract and retain more Aboriginal staff we need to ensure that our work environment is understanding and respectful of Aboriginal culture. 

"These workshops will also help Landgate to continue to build relations with the Aboriginal community and provide culturally appropriate service delivery," said Ms Chalker. 

The workshop presenters Danny Ford, Director Kambarang Services, Tim Muirhead, Director Community Spirit Development, and Kim Bridge, Principal Kim Bridge and Associates are all highly regarded community
development practitioners.

Ms Chalker described seeing the presenters in action as a real privilege.

"Their passion for helping people to better understand Aboriginal history, culture and realise the challenges
experienced by many Aboriginal people really comes across in the training," she said. 

"This training will help Landgate staff to be in a more informed position to develop ideas on how their services can work better or differently to improve partnership with Aboriginal people."

Landgate is Western Australia's primary source of land information and geographic data, providing the accuracy government, business and individuals rely on.