Public recognitions of the territories traditionally occupied by Indigenous communities can improve the reputation of organizations, but the effect is greater when they are accompanied by concrete measures, such as collaboration with Indigenous leaders and profit sharing with local communities. The conclusion stems from an Australian study that analyzed the impact of these declarations in Australia and the United States.
The so-called “territory recognitions” are public statements through which organizations acknowledge that their activities take place on territories traditionally inhabited by Indigenous peoples. The study distinguishes these declarations from territory welcome ceremonies, performed by representatives of Indigenous communities to welcome visitors on their traditional lands.
According to the researchers, exposure to territory recognitions had little effect on people’s political attitudes, but it was associated with an improvement in the perception of the reputation of the organizations that make them.
The reputational effect, however, was more pronounced when companies maintained more substantive relationships with Indigenous leaders or adopted profit-sharing practices with the communities. The results thus suggest that public recognition may have some impact, but direct engagement and the sharing of economic benefits have more significant effects on the perception of organizations.
The investigation also analyzed the effects of these declarations on public knowledge. Exposure to territory recognitions increased awareness of the existence and identity of local Indigenous communities. However, the researchers also found evidence that this contact could be associated with a reduced interest in seeking additional information about the history and culture of the Indigenous peoples of the territories where people live.
The results highlight a possible difference between symbolic recognition of Indigenous peoples and the adoption of measures with tangible consequences for these communities. For companies, the research suggests that initiatives of collaboration, participation, and profit-sharing can have reputational effects distinct from those obtained through public statements alone.
The study was conducted in Australia and the United States and was published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
