Cultural practices

At the time of European settlement there were over 250 separate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social groups or communities, each having their own culture, language and traditions.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people culture is both a set of rules or behaviours, and a set of standards that guide how they look at the world [1]. It guides spiritual beliefs as well as customs, law, history and tradition. Culture is passed on from one generation to another and is carefully protected.

Culture is also an important factor in health and ill-health, and there is increasing recognition that health interventions that include aspects of local culture are more likely to lead to improvements in health [2].