OPINION: It’s time to do better in terms of forming true connections with Indigenous Australians.
Many Australian organisations will undoubtedly be congratulating themselves at the end of Naidoc Week 2025 (July 13).
No doubt a range of activities have been undertaken across the nation, with social media cataloguing morning teas (with a speaker from country) and numerous other inclusive events.
These gestures matter, but they’re just the entry fee for allyship, which requires individuals and organisations to move beyond performative leadership and create meaningful relationships and partnerships; to engage in conversations that may be uncomfortable and challenging.
The most difficult conversation I’ve had in my career occurred in 2010. As a type-A personality, I arrived with a carefully crafted agenda in hand, prepared for a two-hour meeting with Noongar women to gain their perspectives on how best to acknowledge, respect, and celebrate their culture.
My host, the late Aunty Janet Hayden, was (rightly) affronted by my officious approach and challenged me to take off the corporate mask and show the real me.
Fixing me with a fierce gaze, Aunty Janet told me to answer her questions first. In a room full of women I didn’t know (bar one), she launched into a rapid-fire interrogation about my family, education and work.
I answered respectfully and confidently, all the while feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
She struck a nerve when she asked whether I’d ever been afraid of a man in my own home.
When I quietly answered in the affirmative, her expression softened momentarily before delivering her verdict: “Well, girl, you haven’t had a hard life, not like some of us here. But I think we know you better now. Ask your questions.”
Throughout that morning in Kings Park, the Noongar women in attendance taught me more about authentic leadership than any boardroom ever has. How to lead with both head and heart.
Authentic reconciliation requires what Aunty Janet demanded: a genuine intent to enter into a relationship, to become a partner, a colleague, a friend and an ally.
I’ve spent two decades working alongside Aboriginal leaders such as Richard Walley, who prefers ‘truth-telling’ to ‘reconciliation’ because “you can never reconcile with the past”.
What I’ve learned is that the difference between authentic and performative allyship lies in the discomfort you’re willing to sit with and the risks you’ll take when it’s not trending.
With Dr Walley’s assistance, I established relationships with Noongar leaders when leading the Committee for Perth, and these were more than box-ticking exercises.
When we developed The Cultural Compact in 2008, Aunty Janet’s proud words at the launch still echo: “Thank you for acknowledging that my culture matters. For most of my life I have been told it does not.”
Taking a genuine stand on reconciliation could have cost me dearly in the early days when corporate Australia was timid, trying to quantify risk and reward. Despite this, I never shied away from a genuine intent to do better and be better.
I can attest that my reconciliation journey has been rich and rewarding. I am proud that many Noongar leaders have been my mentors, advisers and, importantly, my friends: friends who have visited my home, shared meals, celebrated life’s happy moments and commiserated over the sad ones, especially the resounding ‘no’ from the Voice referendum.
This year’s Naidoc theme was ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’. Delivering this will be driven, in part, by corporate leaders who understand that reconciliation isn’t a program to be managed, but a fundamental shift in how business operates; one that requires the involvement of Indigenous people beyond cultural consultations.
The Noongar women who challenged me weren’t interested in my good intentions; they wanted to see my character. They understood that authentic relationships require vulnerability, consistency, and willingness to be changed by the encounter. I have been wholeheartedly changed for the better.
As Dr Walley says, there’s strength and energy in the collective, and it starts with the individual.
With Naidoc activities over for another year, ask yourself these questions. Do I have genuine friendships with Indigenous colleagues? Have I invited them into my home? Do I seek their counsel beyond Indigenous matters?
If the answers are no, you’re practising performative, rather than authentic, allyship.
It’s time to do better.
• Marion Fulker is chair of Perth Zoo, an executive coach and WA state chair of Smartgroup
