Sovereignty & Self-Determination

First Nations Protocol

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are 34 times more likely to be hospitalised for domestic violence than non-Indigenous women. Colonial systems cannot solve a crisis they helped create. This protocol is our commitment to doing differently.

The Problem With "Consultation"

Too often, mainstream frameworks "consult" with Aboriginal communities, then ignore their input. Or worse, they impose Western models of family violence that don't account for:

  • The unique dynamics of violence in Aboriginal communities — including lateral violence, institutional violence, and the ongoing trauma of colonisation
  • The critical role of kinship, community, and Elders in safety planning
  • The legitimate fear many Aboriginal women have of police and child protection — systems that have removed their children for generations
  • The strength of Aboriginal women's leadership and existing healing practices

Our Commitments

1. Aboriginal-Led Governance

The First Nations Working Group is not advisory. It has veto authority over any framework element affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This includes risk assessment tools, police protocols, child safety guidelines, and perpetrator programs.

2. Separate but Interconnected Frameworks

NAISAR recognises that a single national framework may not serve all communities equally. We support the development of Aboriginal-specific frameworks that are:

  • Designed and governed by Aboriginal people
  • Recognised as equally authoritative to the national framework
  • Integrated with mainstream systems only where Aboriginal governance approves

3. No Extractive Research

Researchers seeking to use NAISAR data involving Aboriginal communities must:

  • Obtain ethics approval from an Aboriginal-controlled ethics committee
  • Ensure Aboriginal researchers lead or co-lead the work
  • Return all data and findings to the communities involved
  • Never publish without community approval

4. Cultural Safety in Every Protocol

Every article in the NAISAR framework must consider:

  • Does this protocol increase or decrease Aboriginal people's trust in the system?
  • Does it account for the diversity of Aboriginal nations, languages, and customs?
  • Does it avoid deficit narratives and recognise Aboriginal strengths?

5. Funding Aboriginal Control

NAISAR commits that any funding received for First Nations framework development flows directly to Aboriginal-controlled organisations — not through mainstream NGOs as intermediaries.

Current Status

First Nations Working Group: Seeking founding members
Aboriginal Advisory Council: Expressions of interest open
Existing First Nations Content: Minimal — we will not publish Aboriginal-specific content until the Working Group is convened and approves it.

"The framework doesn't exist until Aboriginal women say it exists. We are not waiting for permission to build our own. We are waiting for NAISAR to prove it can support rather than supplant."

— Statement from community consultations, 2025

Get Involved

If you represent an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisation working in family violence, we want to hear from you. Not to ask what we should build — to ask how we can support what you're already doing.

Express Interest