How You Can Ethically Support the Industry - Damien Coulthard

“Aboriginal Australia is diverse and dynamic. This is exemplified by the 250 Indigenous language groups and 800 dialects practised across Australia and the Torres Strait. What this translates to is an abundance of unique stories related to Country, place, kinship and food. When you are welcomed to Country by a traditional owner, it’s not just a free passage of safety and good health to that building or park – you’re being welcomed to their Country, their home. While on that Country, it’s your responsibility to interact respectfully with all living environments aligned with that group’s cultural protocols.

Ultimately, we need to change our understanding about Aboriginal culture by first acknowledging Country as a place, as our mother. It’s where we come from, where our language is from, it’s where cultural immersion and expressions are respectfully practised, shared and taught.

The way this connects with the native-food industry is that, when native foods are being wild-harvested or when native-food products are being sourced and purchased, we must ensure that we’re developing authentic relationships with traditional owners. We must also ensure adequate recognition and protection is applied of the native food or products, cultural expressions and intellectual property of First Nations individuals and communities.

What Warndu aims to do is connect Aboriginal people back to Country and strengthen community identities, as well as collaborate with Aboriginal communities with established wild-harvesting practices and businesses. We buy first through Aboriginal businesses that are supporting their direct communities. Collaboration is very important to the growth of the industry, and therefore buying from non-Indigenous businesses that support and work respectfully with Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal business is an integral part of strengthening a sustainable supply chain.

These relationships and these principles are most important to Warndu. Outside of that is working with businesses and people who have the same ethos and values as us and who want to support Aboriginal communities to ensure restoration of culture and improve those areas that, unfortunately, hurt our communities – social determinants such as health, employment and education. We’ve been in this space for almost six years and we’ve always based our business on being upfront and honest and forming authentic relationships. If you’re someone who’s perhaps just wanting to make some quick cash, you’re not going to be in the industry for long as word spreads and reputation is key. The industry is growing, but ultimately, as a business working in this space, what we need to do is support Indigenous people, Indigenous communities and Indigenous businesses to grow and develop by working in collaboration with each other. It’s all about being respectful and collaborating. Until we get this right, the industry is unlikely to be sustainable.”

Damien Coulthard is an Adnyamathanha and Dieri man and co-founder of Warndu (“good” in the Adnyamathanha language), a business in South Australia’s Clare Valley that produces goods made with Australian native ingredients.