Cultural Inclusion

The term ‘cultural appropriation’ has centered cultural inclusion as a cornerstone of respectful and effective design. Take, for example, the Free the Flag campaign addressing copyright and commercial licensing of the Aboriginal Flag, recognised by the Federal Court of Australia has having been designed by Harold Thomas in 1971 and first publicly flown on National Aborigines Day.

On one hand a symbol to recognise and celebrate Aboriginal culture, on the other an IP generating valuable licensing revenue via merchandise and clothing sales. This conflict between cultural significance and commercialisation eventually led to cease-and-desist letters against the use of the flag by organisation such as indigenous health groups and the AFL by license holders (Smart Company, 2020).

Therefore, to prevent conflict of interest when collaborating on designs with Indigenous Australians, it is important to acknowledge and respect their culture, which has been drafted into the Design Institute of Australia’s Indigenous Design Charter : Communication Design (AIDC:CD) ten points (DIA, 2016):

1. Indigenous led. Ensure Indigenous representation creation in design practice is Indigenous led.
2. Self-determined. Respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples to oversee representation creation of their culture in design practice.
3. Community specific. Ensure respect for the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture by following community specific cultural protocols.
4. Deep listening. Ensure respectful, culturally specific, personal engagement behaviors for effective communication and courteous interaction.
5. Impact of design. Consider the reception and implications of all designs so they are respectful to Indigenous culture.
6. Indigenous knowledge. Ask the client if there is an aspect to the project, in relation to any design brief, that may be improved with Indigenous knowledge.
7. Shared knowledge. Develop and implement respectful methods for all engagement and sharing of Indigenous knowledge.
8. Legal and moral. Respect and honour cultural ownership and intellectual property, and obtain appropriate permissions where required.
9. Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Develop a RAP incorporating the AIDC:CD.
10. Charter implementation. Ensure implementation of AIDC:CD to safeguard Indigenous design integrity.

These principals are backed up by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Protocols by Oxfam Australia (Oxfam Australia, n.d.)..