YarnnUp: From curiosity to cultural confidence

Interest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures continues to grow across Australia. National research shows more non-Indigenous Australians want to understand First Nations histories and know who the Traditional Owners of their local area are. Yet this growing curiosity is not always matched with confidence, clarity, or culturally safe ways to learn. As organisations prepare for NAIDOC Week 2026 — 50 Years of Deadly — there is a timely opportunity to move beyond awareness and invest in learning that is grounded in First Nations knowledge and lived experience.

Recent findings highlight a contradiction. While interest in Indigenous issues is increasing, support for practical initiatives such as Acknowledgement of Country and Indigenous place names has declined. This suggests that many people want to learn but lack trusted pathways to do so well. In workplace settings, this gap can result in uncertainty, reliance on unverified information, or hesitation to engage at all.

For organisations, building cultural capability requires more than good intentions. It requires shared language, consistent frameworks, and learning environments that allow people to reflect, ask questions, and build understanding without fear of causing harm. Establishing a strong foundation is a critical first step.

Woven Wisdom: The 8 Threads of Cultural Capability is YarnnUp’s flagship eLearning program, designed to provide that foundation. Developed by a First Nations-led consultancy, the program introduces learners to key concepts such as identity, history, bias, communication, and leadership as relational skills that shape workplace culture and decision-making.

Learn more: https://yarnnup.com.au/woven-wisdom/

Delivered through short, story-led modules, reflective journaling, and real-world scenarios, Woven Wisdom supports learners to engage at their own pace while building confidence and practical understanding. This self-paced approach is particularly effective for complex or sensitive topics, creating culturally safer conditions for learning and reflection.

The program is well suited to onboarding, RAP commitments, leadership development, and preparation for NAIDOC Week. It provides a consistent baseline across teams and reduces the pressure on individuals to navigate cultural learning without guidance.

Licences for teams of under 100 learners can be purchased online here.

For organisations seeking deeper engagement, YarnnUp also delivers face-to-face training, from two-hour sessions to multi-day immersive programs. These offerings are grounded in a trauma-informed First Nations lens and support teams to embed learning into everyday practice, leadership, and organisational systems.

Explore training options: https://yarnnup.com.au/training/

As NAIDOC Week reaches its 50-year milestone, 50 Years of Deadly reminds us that meaningful change has always been led by community, culture, and truth-telling. Cultural capability is not achieved through one-off activities, but through intentional learning over time. Programs like Woven Wisdom support organisations to move from curiosity to informed, confident action.

Stay connected and access further resources:
Woven Wisdom

[email protected]
yarnnup.com.au