Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

As a general reference, use ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’. Most communities accept this as an appropriate term. Note that ‘peoples’ is plural when you're referring to a group of communities, but it should be singular for one group of individuals.

Avoid using the acronym ‘ATSI’, as it can sound dehumanising and disrespectful. For a shortened form, use ‘Indigenous’ with an initial capital. But be aware that the word is contentious for some because it fails to recognise the diversity of the communities involved.

The phrase ‘First Nations’ is also gaining traction around the world, as an adjective to describe the first peoples of a country that was later colonised.

Whichever term you use, avoid pairing it with ‘Australians’ unless you need to refer to different indigenous populations around the world.

If you need to speak about the non-Indigenous population, opt for that phrase rather than terms like ‘white’ or ‘Caucasian’, which are highly problematic.

According to the Koori Mail, it’s best to refer to a specific person or group by one of the following, in descending order of preference:

This approach means that you will reference people more accurately and respectfully.

If you don’t know the language group or community that someone identifies with, try to find out. Where that is not possible, use the more general reference rather than getting it wrong. Don’t assume you know based on where people currently live. 

Don’t use the following labels, although the ASG notes that Aboriginal communities in Tasmania may refer to themselves as ‘Aborigines’.

Many Indigenous people use ‘Mob’, ‘Black’, ‘Blak’ or ‘Blackfellas’ to speak about themselves or their communities. But avoid these words unless you are part of a community or you know that the community will support your use of them.

If you do decide to use these words, keep the initial capital letter as a sign of respect.

As Australia increasingly recognises the adverse impact it has had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, our version of English is expanding to include more Indigenous words, references and practices. For example, the colonial ‘Ayers Rock’ is now routinely called by its traditional name of Uluru.

If a word has a specific meaning for Indigenous communities, take care with how you use and style it. Different groups may spell and capitalise words differently, so seek advice where you can.

Below, we touch on just a few references that are common in workplaces today.