You don’t get to dip in and out of relationship. Not with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Not when it suits you. Not just when you’ve messed up and need help cleaning it up.
Too often, we see a cycle: Silence. Discomfort. Mistake. Then — suddenly — a flurry of engagement, requests, consultation.
But here’s the truth: We are not your crisis response team. We are not your cultural clean-up crew. We are not your once-a-year reconciliation activity.
Real relationship is built in the in-between. In the showing up without agenda. In the listening when it’s not convenient. In the small, quiet threads woven over time — not the rush to “fix” what you broke.
If your engagement only kicks in after the damage is done… If you’re only around when you’re under pressure… If you only reach for our wisdom when it benefits your image… That’s not relationship. That’s extraction.
Here’s the invitation: Start weaving every day. Add to the thread, not just when you’re unravelling. Because trust isn’t built in reaction. It’s built in presence.
You don’t build trust by showing up only when you’ve failed. Relationship isn’t a repair job — it’s a thread you’re meant to keep weaving, every day.
