writing about us

The words Palawa and Pakana both refer to an Aboriginal person or people of Lutruwita. So it’s not necessary to add the word ‘people’ after either Palawa or Pakana as that is already embedded in the word.

These terms originally come from two different language groups – Palawa is a southern word while Pakana is from the north of the main island. They are used interchangeably but not together. Palawa is more commonly used as the collective term for Tasmanian Aboriginal people.

So please don’t write (or say) “Palawa/Pakana” as this literally means “Tasmanian Aboriginal people and/or Tasmanian Aboriginal people”. That’s right up there with naan bread (bread bread), chai tea (tea tea) and, our favourite, mahi mahi fish (fish fish fish).

Also, now that you know we are Palawa (or Pakana), please don’t then go on to write a story about us as Indigenous people with our Indigenous tourism venture. You know our identity now so please show us respect by using it. It’s your job to educate your editors on this too.

As stated on the TAC (Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre) website:

“palawa kani means Tasmanian Aborigines speak’; it is the only Aboriginal language in Lutruwita/Tasmania today…

As a consequence of the devastating impacts of invasion and colonisation on every aspect of our lives, we have had to deliberately and arduously restore our language to its spoken life. The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre is acknowledged both within and outside the Aboriginal community as the body with responsibility for that work, conducted by the palawa kani Language Program across the state since the early 1990s.”

Language evolves so please be aware of changes to palawa kani over time. For instance, our place names and the names of geographic features (e.g. Lutruwita/Tasmania, Wukalina/Mount William) and our collective cultural identity (e.g. Palawa, Pakana) are now capitalised.

Policies and protocols to follow when using palawa kani in your work can be found on the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre website.

Each Aboriginal community member has their own way of expressing their cultural identity so always ask rather than assume. Some people call themselves an “Aboriginal community member” while others a “Pakana woman” or “Palawa person” or “Palawa man” or other variations.

Understanding of identity changes too, due to various impacts of colonisation, so don’t just use what you find online as it may be out of date. Check directly with the individual.

Not all First Nations people who, today, live in Lutruwita are Palawa and not all of our guides are Palawa so please make sure you ask individual people what their cultural identity is rather than make an assumption.

If someone tells you they’re a “proud Pakana woman” then retain the word “proud” as it’s an integral element of their identity. If they don’t say “proud”, don’t take the liberty of adding it’s making assumptions about someone’s personal identity and can seem condescending.

If you must use collective terms – and remember that these have been imposed upon us – then please capitalise Aboriginal, Indigenous and First Nations. We are proper nouns.

The word Blak was coined by artist Destiny Deacon – a descendent of the KuKu and Erub Mer people – in 1994. It’s generally acceptable in writing but please use the term sparingly and always with a capital.

Although many of us in Lutruwita identify as Tasmanian Aboriginal people, keep in mind that many First Nations people across the continent don’t identify as Indigenous Australians or Aboriginal Australians as we predate ‘Australia’.

And please never call us “our” Aboriginal/First Nations people as we do not belong to you. That way of referring to us is paternalistic and patronising.

Keep in mind, too that we are not and should never be called ‘Aboriginals’ (definitely never ‘Aborigines’). We are Aboriginal people or Aboriginal peoples (when referring to multiple Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders cultures). Here in Lutruwita, however, we are the Palawa community or the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community (singular).

Abbreviations like TO for Traditional Owners or ATSI for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is disrespectful.

Many First Nations people capitalise certain English words to indicate either their significance or what that term represents to us. For instance, Country with a capital indicates Aboriginal Country while Old People means we’re referring to our Ancestors.

Others words we love to see capitalised are Creation, Elders, Traditional Owners, Smoking Ceremony, Acknowledgement of Country, Welcome to Country, Blak is beautiful.

We are often written about in past tense as though we’re no longer here, but we are as much here today as we ever were.

Our culture is often described as “ancient” as though it’s no longer relevant or that it hasn’t evolved. It’s preferable, we think, to say our culture is one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures.

People sometimes talk of a singular Aboriginal culture when, in fact, Palawa culture is one of hundreds of distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander/Zenadth Kes cultures across this continent.

When you paraphrase our words, the nuance is often skewed or lost entirely. Quote us directly as much as you can and try to avoid expressing assumptions about us as individuals and as collectives. From our experience, those assumptions are usually wrong.

Non-Aboriginal media almost always writes about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander using deficit language, as though we’re some sort of problem or need to fix ourselves or be fixed. We hope you can see the bigger picture and don’t fall into those tropes.

You might hear us use terms like mob, Blackfulla and Aborigine but, as Aboriginal people, these are our words to use and not yours. Please refrain from using those terms unless quoting us directly.

Instead of anthropological terms like tribe/clan/band, we’d prefer you say Ancestral collectives or family groups. 

The word midden is an old Danish word meaning ‘domestic rubbish dump’. We ask you don’t use this term at all but call these important spaces our “cultural living sites” or “cultural living places”.

Keep in mind that, rather than inhabiting a place, we live or lived there. The words dreamtime and walkabout – please don’t ever.

Never ever describe any of us in terms of blood quantum ie “part-Aboriginal” or “half-caste” as these are steeped in a history of racial genocide and trauma. Referring to our Old People, Trukanini and William Lanne, as “the last of…” is also deeply offensive.

Lutruwita/Tasmania

Kanamaluka/River Tamar

Wukalina/Mt William

Larapuna/Bay of Fires (note: ‘Eddystone Point’ is the most northern point of Larapuna)

Tayaritja/Bass Strait Islands

Truwana/Cape Barren Island

We don’t yet know the original place name for the area where the city of Launceston today stands, so just use the introduced name when talking about the city for now.

wukalina Walk takes place on Trawlwoolway Country, which is the traditional homeland of many First Nations people of Lutruwita.

When you write about a place being “untouched” or “pristine” or “wilderness” you erase us, our existence, our past and ongoing connection to Country and our essential role as custodians. We are so tired of hearing our Country spoken about this way. Listen to the way we speak about our own homelands and quote us rather than trying to describe a place you’re only visiting.