Over the past 12 months, the TR team have been working hard on our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), a strategic document that supports our contributions to reconciliation both internally and within the local communities we work in.
Designed to advance the five dimensions of reconciliation, this has been a key focus for the TR team in providing a practical framework to further create meaningful opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
When embarking on this journey of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, we asked ourselves three important questions:
1. What don’t I know about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture?
2. How can I know more about the issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?
3. Why does our business need a Reconciliation Action Plan?
Want to find out what we found? Read on.
What We Didn’t Know
When we first started looking into developing a RAP, we considered the first of the three questions, “What didn’t we know about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture?”
As a diverse team of heritage consultants working in the industry, we knew more than perhaps a lot of other organisations working toward reconciliation. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for improvement.
How We Learned More
For Nerida, a proud Kokatha-Mirning woman, she found herself educated through her connections to her culture, family and Country. In her own words,
“I had a special upbringing on my country where I know our mob and our cultural knowledge. Aboriginal affairs, issues, cultural knowledge, language and protocols were passed down to me daily as I grew up in the small coastal town of Ceduna, South Australia, where my family is vast, and our roots run deep across the munda and wanna mar.”
As both an Aboriginal woman and Aboriginal Partnerships Coordinator, Nerida’s own experiences and passion for her culture was integral in the broader education of the TR team, helping expand our knowledge of the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to continue working toward reconciliation.
Why Our Business Needed A RAP
Working in true partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is a key value of ours here at TR, only strengthened by our team’s passion and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture.
As Nerida highlights, “The issues we are constantly battling as a collective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are systemic racism, no recognition of Aboriginal people in the constitution, Aboriginal deaths in custody, no inclusion of the “real history” of Australia in mainstream education systems, and social and health injustices.
At Terra Rosa, we knew we could do more and become the first cultural heritage management company in Western Australia to have their Reconciliation Action Plan. And this has an opportunity to ensure the voices of fellow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are heard.”
We knew we could do more. We see every day the importance of reconciliation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people we work with. So, we put our knowing into action and worked hard to formalise our commitment to the continual journey toward reconciliation.
We’re pleased to announce that our Reconciliation Action Plan is approved, with countless hours of time, energy and dedication invested by the TR team in making this final.
We’ve celebrated with our team, community and industry partners throughout the month, but now’s the time to do the work. With a formal structure now in place, the TR team are going to continue working toward reconciliation with the hopes of realising a better, fairer future.
