First Nations’ allies: How is allyship understood through an Australian First Nations perspective?

First Nations’ allies: How is allyship understood through an Australian First Nations perspective?

First Nations peoples across the globe face an enduring struggle for selfdetermination and recognition of their sovereignty, while also leading the difficult path towards decolonisation. As members of culturally and politically marginalised groups, First Nations peoples continue to endure oppression, racism and discrimination. However, since early colonisation and right up to the present day, there have been non-Indigenous people willing to take on the role of allies in support of Australia’s First Peoples. In terms of allyship, there is broad consensus within the literature that an ally is a member of a dominant group who seeks to challenge the prejudice and oppression experienced by members of non-dominant groups. In a liberal democracy where the majority rules, such as in Australia, non-Indigenous allies provide crucial support to First Nations peoples, who represent just 3.8% of the total population. An improved understanding of First Nations’ allyship is invaluable to informing genuine reconciliation and cultural safety and humility training, as well as supporting the selfdetermination and advancement of First Australians. Research and literature concerned with allyship has typically been informed by the dominant group and excluded First Nations perspectives. This project has redressed this imbalance. A scoping review was conducted to locate allyship literature specific to the First Nations context, revealing a significant lack of Australian-based literature and the absence of research on allyship informed exclusively by First Australians, highlighting the importance and value of this research. Through the use of First Nations informed yarning methodology, this qualitative study amplified the voices of 12 First Nations participants to gain a clearer understanding of genuine allyship through a uniquely Australian First Nations lens. Reflexive thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted to identify key research themes, providing insights into the qualities, mindset and actions of authentic First Nations’ allies, with focus given to allyship in the context of the 2023 Voice Referendum. A key finding of this research is that First Nations’ allyship offers ‘support’, rather than ‘solutions’, and is grounded in a ‘with us, not for us’ approach. This research culminates in the presentation of a First Nations’ Allyship Framework, comprising nine research-informed principles, to guide best practice for non-Indigenous allies. Significantly, these guidelines are informed exclusively by First Australians. This paper concludes with a call to action for existing and potential First Nations’ allies.