The Future of Work is…embracing of First Nations knowledge and history

We’ve asked our Work Futures interdisciplinary team to complete the sentence ‘The Future of Work is…’ . This is Michelle’s perspective on the future of work and what it means to her.

With greater acceptance and celebration of First Nations people in Australia, more people are identifying as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander which is contributing to the natural population growth and resulting in the population increase by more than 25% between the 2016 and 2021 census. This is a significant factor when considering the future for indigenous work. The growth in population is juxtaposed against the context and ‘trend in Indigenous labour underutilisation, coupled with inadequate social security payments, has resulted in escalating poverty rates in remote Australia’.[1] That said, Indigenous rates of higher education attainment, home ownership, and income above the poverty line are also rising. Hence, we have a population that is both experiencing social mobility and compounded by historical patterns of economic and employment discrimination.

The ongoing persistence of the gender disparity in career opportunity and pathways, and the continued dominance of the patriarchal system has ongoing impact on value placed on the care economy, both in recognition of payment and/or time. This of course affects the Australian workforce in general, however is exacerbated for First Nations women whose economic history has been dominated by authoritarianism and whose critical cultural and care roles are hardly recognised within the current system let alone recognised as a form of work. For Indigenous men, who are routinely questioned about their care roles, social systems supporting fatherhood are also a critical concern when considering workforce access, and gender parity.

Where you live matters to the kind of work and working conditions available to you. The most recent statistics from the 2021 census show that NSW and QLD continue to be the most populous states for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with around half of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia living in capital cities. Movement to capital cities makes economic sense, with greater opportunity to pursue work from a greater range of opportunities. However, for those First Nations people who continue to live in regional and remote Australia there are added concerns. A recent study statistically analysed Aboriginal populations exposure to climate hazards in regional and remote areas emphasising the impacts on health conditions, and therefore, community resilience face great challenge as the future climate heats up.

Where repair and care for Country holds promise in its (re)connecting to culture through practice of Indigenous knowledge systems. Regionality can also provide opportunities in the net-zero economy that suit Indigenous collective organisations, such as the work being done by the Aboriginal Carbon Foundation connecting care for country with economic opportunities. Remote communities and traditional owner proscribed body corporate organisations are unique placed to both care for Country and potentially be at the forefront of clean energy advancement. However for the true potential of both protection and care for country, and the economic benefit and autonomy to be realised, the impediments of access and usage of land which continue to work against First Nations people need to continue to be addressed. Therefore, the future of work from an Indigenous standpoint is inclusive of political and economic justice. 

The future of Indigenous work and working conditions requires a great deal of consideration, especially with a keen focus on regional and remote communities across Australia. Heightened racism and the responses to racism create concerns for young people’s well-being, academic outcomes and great psychological impact of racism. Racism is a critical structural factor shadowing our view of a positive future for Indigenous work and working conditions. Indigenous led spaces for employment such as organisations, community controlled corporations and businesses can provide a culturally safe working environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as they build their skills and experience.

References

[1] Commonwealth of Australia, “Select Committee on the Future of Work and Workers.”

Standen, J. C., Spencer, J., Lee, G. W., Van Buskirk, J., Matthews, V., Hanigan, I., . . . Morgan, G. G. (2022). Aboriginal Population and Climate Change in Australia: Implications for Health and Adaptation Planning. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12), 7502. Retrieved from https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/12/7502

Uink, B., Bennett, R., Bullen, J., Lin, A., Martin, G., Woods, J., & Paradies, Y. (2022). Racism and Indigenous Adolescent Development: A Scoping Review. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 32(2), 487-500. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12754