How to check if you are including authentic First Nations voices

It is acceptable to use material written by or about or with First Nations people in your assignment. 
However, it is important that you understand how the ethnicity of the author shapes their perspective.

Many resources written before the 1980s portrayed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures through stereotypes, generalisations, and inaccurate outsider perspectives. These days many resources are written by, or in consultation with, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and refer to specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, thus illustrating the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

When reading, consider whether:

• the author is a First Nations person
• the author is a non-indigenous person consulting with First Nations people
• the author is a non-indigenous person writing about First Nations people

 Check the ethnicity of authors by checking:

• Author information in their works
• Institutional profiles/personal profiles
• Social media
• Wikipedia

Use the checklists below to evaluate whether a resource represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.

Characteristics of resources that DO represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives

• Up to date
• Accurate
• Illustrations and photographs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are relevant to the text and are accurate portrayals
• Photographs are accompanied by captions which name the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person, or group, and indicate where they come from
• Acknowledges Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander participation in the research, writing and presentation processes
• Are about the local area or state
• Endorsed by local, regional, state or territory Aboriginal education consultative groups
• Endorsed by other Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander groups
• Acceptable to the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community
• Authored and or led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars

Characteristics of resources that do NOT represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives

• Perpetuates the concept of terra nullius
• Ignores or misrepresents Aboriginal resistance to European occupation of the land
• Overgeneralises
• Ignores the number and diversity of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal knowledges, languages, cultures and customs
• Over-represents men
• Trivialises women's roles in Aboriginal societies
• Presents stereotypes and racist connotations
• Assumes that all Torres Strait Islander people and Aboriginal people live in the past
• Emphasises the "exotic" to the exclusion of other cultural aspects
• Excludes Torres Strait Islander people
• Creates a "them" and "us" separation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples
• Excludes some readers by assuming a European background

With thanks to University of Queensland Library for permission to reuse and adapt their guide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives

and

University of South Australia. (2013). Evaluating texts. Respect, Relationships Reconciliation (the 3Rs) – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education: Resources for pre-service teachers, University of South Australia, Evaluating texts - 3Rs (rrr.edu.au) . CC BY-NC-SA

Criteria to evaluate bias in resources

When reading use the following criteria to evaluate whether bias is present in the resource: 

• Omission: selective reporting of information, often from the writer's or dominant cultural viewpoint and omitting the contribution/point of view of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• Defamation: negative reporting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' contributions, situations, and culture
• Disparagement: denying or belittling the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Australian culture
• Cumulative Implication: only crediting one group for positive developments in society
• Validity: failing to ensure that information is accurate, unambiguous and represents Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' perspectives
• Inertia: perpetuation of myths and half-truths by failure to keep abreast of historical scholarship
• Obliteration: ignoring significant aspects of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
• Disembodiment: referring in a casual, generalised, and depersonalised way to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures
• Concreteness: generalising and stereotyping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, and experiences
• Comprehensiveness: omitting relevant facts that would provide a diverse, well-rounded understanding of a topic

(University of South Australia. 2013)

Further guidance

Further in-depth guidance is available from the AIATSIS Guide to evaluating and selecting education resources (PDF, 1.6MB).