‘I’ before ‘E’, the importance of ‘C’: Changing the grammar of government policy and support programs targeting Aboriginal people le page

This project will explores how cultural reclamation can be prioritised as a foundational step towards directing Aboriginal people into education and employment programs.

Emphasising the importance of identity—the ‘I’ in the project title—it highlights how the loss of cultural identity, including law, family, land, language and ceremony, is a root concern that governments have long overlooked.

While education and employment—the ‘E’—are often promoted as pathways to wellbeing, current approaches risk reinforcing assimilation by ignoring the cultural determinants essential to true empowerment.

The ‘C’ stands for culture and country, which are central to identity and wellbeing. The project will consider how shifts in policy focus towards recognition of culture and country are vital for both healing Aboriginal communities and challenging systemic racism in broader Australian society.