In developing content with or about First Nations people, take care to consider issues of respect and culture. Terms, language and style should all be respectful and appropriate.

Wherever possible, consult relevant First Nations groups and follow their guidance. 

It is also a good idea to include explanations of your approach in your content (for example, include an introduction or boxed content that explains your approach, or include a glossary if you have used terms in a particular way). 

For information on First Nations citations and research, see Citing First Nations Traditional Knowledges.

This section has been developed with advice from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the Universities Australia Deputy Vice Chancellor / Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous Committee.

Identity

Reference to Australia’s First Peoples, and First Nations people everywhere, needs careful and respectful consideration.

The guidance here focuses on First Nations people in Australia. For guidance on developing content with or about First Nations people in other countries, consult other relevant groups and guides. Just as in Australia, terminology and preferences are changing and care should be taken to consider issues of respect and culture.

Collective terms

Several collective terms are used to describe First Nations people. 

However, Australia is home to diverse groups of First Nations people. Each Nation may have different preferences about which terminology is respectful. Specific communities, groups and individuals may also have their own preferences. 

Always check what terms should be used. If possible, check with First Nations people you are working with. If your organisation has specific guidance about First Nations terms, follow that guidance; noting though that any guidance should be developed together with relevant First Nations people. 

Options for collective terms include:

  • First Nations or First Nations people or peoples. This term is often accepted and is currently recommended for the Australian Government(Opens in a new tab/window). We have used First Nations throughout the Biotext content manual. Some First Nations people find the term inappropriate because the term originated in North America. 
  • First Peoples. This term is less common but is often accepted. Again, some First Nations people do not like the term because it originated in North America.
  • First Australians. This term is less common but is often accepted. Some First Nations people do not like the term because it accepts the premise of the ‘Australian’ nation, and does not recognise that First Nations sovereignty was not ceded. Some may also find that it erases their Nation identity.
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people or peoples. This term is often accepted. Some First Nations people do not like the term because it homogenises and recognises only 2 broad groups, rather than the diversity of groups. 
  • Indigenous people or peoples. This term is often accepted. Some First Nations people do not like the term because it describes First Peoples in any country around the world, as well as plants and animals belonging to a particular place. (Note: if you are writing about plants and animals, the term should not be capitalised; for example, ‘The fence is designed to protect indigenous species from predation by feral animals’. If you are writing about people, the term should be capitalised.)

The terms should be capitalised as above (see also Capitalising First Nations terms, on this page). 

Some groups prefer the use of peoples rather than people, to indicate that there are a diversity of First Nations and groups.

Whichever term is chosen, use it consistently throughout your content. You may wish to note in an introduction why the term was chosen, and acknowledge that there is no consensus on terminology and that you recognise some readers may not like the term you have used.

Further guidance is available from:

Collective terms to avoid

The following terms are patronising and offensive in the Australian context, and should not be used:

  • Aborigines, the Aborigines, our Aborigines or our Islanders
  • acronyms ATSI or TSI to refer to people at any time (for example, in emails or job titles)
  • terms such as primitive, prehistoric and native when referring to people.

Some First Nations persons describe themselves as Black; some use Blak instead of Black to reclaim the negative connotations of the word black(Opens in a new tab/window) and to signify the Australian context. These terms can be considered offensive when used by non-Indigenous people. 

Groups

First Nations people use a variety of terms to describe themselves as a group. Best practice is always to find out what individuals and groups prefer to be called, rather than making assumptions.

Common terms include Mob, Nation and community. 

Generally, a word like Mob would only be used by non-Indigenous Australians if they knew, and lived or worked among, First Nations people (see AIATSIS Guidelines for the ethical publishing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and research from those communities(Opens in a new tab/window) for further information).

It is usually fine for anyone to use the terms Nation and community. However, always consult relevant First Nations groups and follow their preferences.

Take care with terms such as Tribe and Clan, and ask before using. Tribe tends to have a negative connotation in Australia, although the term has been used by some First Nations groups in arguing their land claims. Likewise, some groups – for example, the Gumatj people in the Northern Territory – talk about Clans in relationship to themselves. 

Nations and regional groups

Wherever possible, use specific nation names; for example, Ngunnawal, Wiradjuri or Yorta Yorta. This recognises and respects the diversity of First Nations. Many First Nations people identify themselves by their language group – for example, Gurindji man or Gubbi woman.

People might call themselves saltwater people if they live on the coast, or freshwater, desert or spinifex people if they live on that country. 

Torres Strait Islander people may prefer to use the name of their island to identify themselves to outsiders – for example, Saibai man or Meriam (Murray Islander).

If a First Nations person is mentioned in text, include details of their language nation and place in parentheses after their name. For example, ‘Detailed guidance has been developed by Danièle Hromek (Budawang/Yuin) and Sophie Herbert in the UTS Library guide to referencing Indigenous material.’ Further guidance is available from the James Cook University APA 7th referencing guide(Opens in a new tab/window).

There are also local terms for First Nations people from different parts of Australia: Koori (across southeastern Australia), Murri (across much of south and central Queensland), Nunga (in southern South Australia), Noongar (also Nyoongar, Nyungar; around Perth), Yolŋu (in Arnhem Land), Aṉangu (in central Australia) and Palawa (in Tasmania).

Take great care with these terms. It is not appropriate to assume that Koori, widely accepted in the southeast of the country, can be used to describe someone in Broome or Darwin. Always consult relevant First Nations groups and follow their preferences.

First Nations map
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Map of Indigenous Australia(Opens in a new tab/window) provides information about the diversity of First Nations, languages and social groups.
However, it should be noted that this map was developed only from published sources. Some Nations are missing, and boundaries may not be accurate.

Titles

Titles such as Elder, Knowledge Holder, Aunty or Uncle are given within First Nations as a sign of respect.

First Nations people who have these titles may only want the title used within their community. Always ask the person how they would like to be described in any content and if they would like their title to be included. 

Capitalising First Nations terms

The Biotext content manual and many other modern style guides recommend a simple style in which the use of capitalisation is minimised (for example, government departments and company directors rather than Government Departments and Company Directors). 

However, many First Nations people see capitalisation as a mark of respect.

This is especially important when referring to people. Nations or language groups are always capitalised (for example, Barkandji, Ngambri or Warlpiri). It is also recommended that Elders, Traditional Custodians and Traditional Owners are capitalised. 

A note about usage ‒ some First Nations people prefer the term Traditional Owners, to signify that sovereignty was never ceded. Some prefer Traditional Custodians, to signify that First Nations people are stewards rather than owners of land. Some use the 2 terms to signify 2 separate concepts:

Consult with relevant First Nations groups about their preferred use of these terms, and include explanations in content as appropriate.

It is recommended that Country is capitalised in a First Nations context. First Nations people may refer to being or living on Country. Country is the First Nations concept of everything within a cultural landscape, including the land or sea itself; the plants and animals within it; the history, culture, law and traditions associated with it; and the connections between people and the landscape. Country is a distinct geographic, cultural and ecological space that is common to a specific Indigenous people, group of people or local community (definition from the State of the Environment report 2021(Opens in a new tab/window)). 

Other terms for concepts and items important to Indigenous people may be capitalised, depending on the context and the preferences of the group. Names of language groups, cultural objects and spiritual entities are often capitalised to show significance and respect. Examples of terms that may be capitalised include Traditional Knowledges, Law (or Lore), Knowledge Keeper, Knowledge Holder, Dreaming, Songlines, Storylines, and Nation.

In some cases, lower case is preferred for specific terms and languages. In particular, the written form of palawa kani(Opens in a new tab/window) (translated as ‘Tasmanian Aboriginal speak’), is titled in lower case and has only lower case words following a decision by the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre(Opens in a new tab/window) to discontinue capitals. However, to show respect for the people and group, Palawa is capitalised when writing about the Palawa people. Place names in palawa kani can be capitalised or lower case, although it is becoming common practice to capitalise. 

If you are writing or editing content about First Nations people, best practice is always to ask the relevant First Nations groups what terms should be capitalised or left lower case. 

Language and culture

When words in language are included in content, they should be italicised and clear attributions included to the Language Nation and the speaker (if appropriate).

Take care to identify and address other sensitive language and cultural issues that may arise in content. Issues to pay attention to include:

  • Death. In many First Nations, the use of names, voices or images of deceased members of the community is avoided. You should follow appropriate social conventions or provide warnings for these audiences.
  • Continuity. Avoid language that refers to First Nations people, practices and culture in the past tense. First Nations people, practices and culture are all continuing and continuous.
  • Colonisation. Care should be taken around the term used for European arrival in Australia. The term ‘settlement’ ignores the dispossession and violence experienced by First Nations; many First Nations prefer ‘colonisation’ or ‘invasion’. Colonisation should also be talked about as ongoing, rather than as a historical event.