AHCASW305A
Work with Aboriginal ceremonial secret sacred materials

This unit provides an awareness of the protocols involved in Aboriginal culture as these relate to individuals and communities, specifically in relation to materials with restrictions on access for cultural reasons. The unit covers Community cultural processes including the need to identify the appropriate person/s when approaching a Community and the cultural and social rules associated with that task.

Application

This unit applies to following Aboriginal cultural protocols when coming into contact and working with cultural materials defined as Aboriginal ceremonial secret sacred objects. The unit applies to working with this material on Country and off Country where rules apply to limited access to the material for cultural and ceremonial reasons. This unit is also applicable to the work of repatriation workers and anthropologists. This unit applies to all Aboriginal-sites workers. Cultural beliefs and practices vary across locations and communities however and in some situations non-Aboriginal learners may not be able to access the cultural knowledge and/or materials required to achieve competency in this unit. This applies when restrictions are applied to non-Aboriginal people gaining access to cultural knowledge, material or sites. In these situations the Registered Training Organisation will have to make alternative arrangements for learners that are still consistent with the delivery and assessment requirements for this unit.


Prerequisites

AHCILM306A Follow Aboriginal cultural protocols


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Conduct background research and consultation with Traditional Owners, Community, Cultural Managers/Knowledge holders

1.1 Traditional ownership of cultural material and objects is confirmed and appropriate Owners/Cultural Managers and Communities are consulted

1.2 Gender requirements for consultations, handling of and access to materials are identified according to Aboriginal cultural protocols

1.3 Consultation with Traditional Owner/s, Community groups and experts to determine suitable holding for materials not authorised for general exhibition is undertaken

1.4 Permissions from cultural authorities for access and use of Aboriginal secret, sacred and ceremonial materials are sought and obtained

1.5 Consultation with Community to determine culturally appropriate approaches to handling of material and any limitations on access to materials is undertaken

1.6 Confidentiality and neutrality in consultations and dealings with Traditional Owners and Cultural Managers is demonstrated

2. Handle Aboriginal secret sacred cultural material

2.1 Any ceremony and/or procedure associated with seeing, handling and/or moving the material is allowed for and/or carried out

2.2 Cultural material is identified, moved, stored, maintained and returned according to Aboriginal cultural requirements and agreements entered into

2.3 Aspects of cultural material requiring repair or attention are noted and passed onto supervisor or person with relevant expertise

2.4 Action within scope of own job role is taken or referred to relevant personnel as required

2.5 Specific Aboriginal cultural requirements are communicated to colleagues

2.6 Appropriate handling and moving equipment is selected and used safely

2.7 Adherence to cultural restrictions and limitations on secret, sacred and ceremonial material is observed

2.8 The handling of cultural material in a manner that protects individual items and assists efficient loading and unloading processes if moving is demonstrated

3. Contribute to a third party storage agreement for holding secret sacred material

3.1 Arrangements for ensuring ongoing consultation and maintenance of relationships with the Traditional Owners/Cultural Managers are established

3.2 The term of the agreement for holding/storing materials is established

3.3 Specific requirements for, quarantine procedures, condition reporting and conservation, security arrangements, cyclical auditing, environmental monitoring, database management are established and documented

3.4 An access agreement defining personnel access and conditions of access is established

3.5 Removal of material from the Keeping Place and any cultural and management protocols to be followed are defined in the access agreement and followed

3.6 Confidentiality measures for storage, access, display and use of secret, sacred and ceremonial materials are followed

4. Contribute to documenting a generational succession plan for passing on ownership of secret sacred material

4.1 Options for inheritance of ownership are discussed with Traditional Owners and/or Elders

4.2 Participate in documenting the process, guidelines and timeframes agreeable to Traditional Owners and Cultural managers for handover of ownership, control and access to secret sacred materials

Required Skills

Required skills include:

Ability to:

demonstraterespect for cultural diversity and sensitivity to social, cultural and professional values and beliefs

use cultural sensitivity skills to be sensitive to cultural issues and respectful of different cultural practices

build and engender trust on sensitive issues with Aboriginal people

implement Aboriginal cultural protocols

establish and document agreements

identify Aboriginal cultural authorities for specific Country in culturally appropriate ways

use appropriate Aboriginal cultural protocols for Community consultation

recognise and administer Aboriginal ownership and intellectual property rights

access, transfer and use cultural information and material

use appropriate personal and social protocols

exercise discretion and confidentiality

enforce access and confidentiality agreements

use technology to access written, oral or visual source material

conduct library and internet research

comprehend and interpret written, oral or visual source material

exercise judgement on sensitive issues

apply listening skills

use oral communication skills

relate to people from a range of social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and physical and mental abilities

Required knowledge includes:

Knowledge of:

Aboriginal history, cultural values and interpersonal and Community protocols

authentic and authoritative sources for Aboriginal cultural information, material and expression able to be accessed and shared

cultural authority identification for ceremony in a particular area or site

ownership relationships for secret, sacred material

genealogy

contracts and confidentiality agreements

selection and use of handling, storage and transport systems

record-keeping

organisational procedures and guidelines

Cultural and Heritage Legislation or relevant NPWS legislation

sustainable environmental practices

workplace health and safety requirements

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

This unit requires the involvement and participation of the appropriate cultural authority in the training and assessment tasks, i.e. Traditional Owners and/or Cultural Manager and/or Cultural Knowledge holder and/or Custodian/s.

The delivery and assessment of this unit must comply with Community protocols and be carried out in consultation with and in participation with Traditional Owners and/or Elders and custodians of that specific Country.

In accordance with Aboriginal cultural protocols, cultural knowledge copyright considerations and Aboriginal lore/law restrictions, it is essential that this requirement be respected and implemented in the delivery and assessment of Cultural Units to guarantee cultural authenticity and quality control around the delivery of training and assessment for Aboriginal-sites workers. Candidates must demonstrate evidence of the ability to:

apply knowledge of issues that frame the development of cultural protocols

consult effectively with Traditional Owners and relevant Community representatives about the handling, access to and display of cultural material

observe Aboriginal cultural protocols, follow collection management practices and industry cultural requirements when moving, storing, displaying and maintaining cultural material

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment events must be contextualised to meet the needs of the particular group, including:

a Community, educational or workplace setting

involvement of people approved by Cultural managers, custodians and/or Traditional Owners for the materials in question

access to:

cultural material or information on material when access is not available

information about cultural protocols

appropriately qualified and experienced museum personnel and cultural heritage curators

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess competency in working with secret, sacred materials. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

observation of the candidate working on Country or in a keeping place facility consulting and/or working with ceremonial secret, sacred materials. Prior approval and permission should be obtained for the Assessor from any Traditional Owners and/or Cultural managers involved

direct questioning combined with third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance

verbal or written questioning

observation of participation in Ceremony and/or Sites work related to the knowledge and skills outlined in this unit

Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands and the needs of particular client groups (consider the requirements of different age groups, clients with English as a second language, clients with disabilities, remote library users, etc.).

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

AHCILM306A Follow Aboriginal cultural protocols

AHCASW308A Apply cultural significance to Aboriginal-sites and landscapes

Assessment for this unit should comprise a combination of theory and practical application. Both aspects of assessment are best conducted on Country and/or in a keeping place facility for this unit.


Range Statement

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

cultural material is defined as:

objects, collections, artworks

specimens, structures or sites

archaeological material

books and manuscripts

built heritage

cultural sites and buildings

ethnographic material

film and audio-visual material

flora and fauna

furniture

photographs

technological and industry items

textiles

works on paper and canvas

objects may include

physical objects such as stone tools, Aboriginal-built fences and stockyards, scarred trees, the remains of fringe camps

material deposited on the land, such as middens

the ancestral remains of Aboriginal people

stones and stone tools

art and artworks

shells

non-human bones and organic materials

Aboriginal cultural protocols may include:

gender roles in relation to knowledge and cultural practices

information sensitivity and access

appropriate information transfer

negotiations with local Aboriginal Community about information transfer

cultural diversity

natural resources and their importance for economy, religion, spirituality, art, environment, values, beliefs and lore/law

rights and responsibilities associated with cultural knowledge, story, song, Site, and ceremony

interpersonal ways of relating

the talking of Community politics

repatriation of objects and human remains

issues of ownership (clans/nations)

ownership of intellectual property

acknowledging participation and ownership

communicating about cultural material

displaying cultural material

handling cultural material

identifying appropriate people to be consulted

occasions when consultation is required

ways in which consultations should be conducted

cultural authorities may include:

Cultural authority refers to the most appropriate senior person/s that is able to speak for particular Country, cultural objects, ceremony and/or materials in a specific place. A cultural authority could be a Traditional Owner, a Native Title Claimant, Aboriginal Culture and Heritage Body, Elder, Aboriginal Land Council, etc.

limitations may relate to:

access issues such as gender

consultation with and involvement of appropriate Community members

descriptive or explanatory writing

fragility of material

identification process

interpretation method

cultural requirements may relate to:

access to material and associated research

any ceremony or procedure that should be carried out around the handling and/or moving of material

storage of material

the way material should be transported

use of equipment or tools

who can describe or handle material

who can view or be around material

specific requirements may relate to:

additional protection

cultural protocols, including Indigenous protocols

de-acclimatisation periods for sensitive items

environmentally controlled packaging

object moving equipment

object support systems for moving or transfer

preventive pest management processes

use or non-use of certain items


Sectors

Aboriginal-sites work


Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills


Licensing Information

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.