Relational Communication
Indigenous Values
Whether it be in the workplace, in public, or in private, Indigenous peoples guide their communication around their values. Out of these values, the concept of interrelatedness is worth focusing on, as it is of the utmost importance in Indigenous communication methods.
Let’s think a bit deeper about this concept now.
Interrelatedness: At the heart of Indigenous values, the term interrelatedness is used to describe the feeling of deep belonging in, and as a part of, the physical world. In essence, one’s well-being is dependent on the collective well-being, that of the land, water, animals, plants, creator, and much more. We are all part of this world, and the world is part of us; we are stewards of this land.
It is the fundamental concept of interrelatedness that explains why Indigenous communication norms are more relational than those of the Western workplace. Communication isn’t just a means of conveying information for Indigenous peoples, it is a means of creating and strengthening relationships. Thus, Indigenous colleagues at work may have a decidedly relational communication style that is evident in what they say, when and where they say it, and how they say it. Relational communication embodies the 5 Rs based on Kirkness and Barnhardt’s (1991) framework for Indigenous education.
The Five Rs
Stemming from the idea of interrelatedness are the 5 Rs: respect, relevance, reciprocity, responsibility, and relationships. Each of these play an important role within the context of relational communication.
Indigenous Communication
Go through the following panels to learn more about Indigenous Relational communication now.
Now let’s take some time to reflect on what we have just learned.
Relational Communication
If we wish to begin to understand communication within Indigenous populations, it is crucial that we have a concrete understanding of relational communication.
So, what is relational communication?
Relational Communication: A form of communication when everything an individual says (or doesn’t say) is understood within the context of their web of relationships.
There are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to relational communication. On one end, we have low-context communication, on the other there is high-context communication.
- Low-context communication has a heavy emphasis on spoken word. In English, we characterize low-context communicators by calling them direct, or those that do not “beat around the bush”.
- Relational communicators rely heavily on the context around them to convey meaning. Context is everything other than words, all the nonverbal cues that are part of a message.
As Dr. Wendi Adair acknowledges in her book What Isn’t Being Said: Culture and Communication at Work, relational communication extends beyond the degree of directness, making use of touch, space, gestures, and gaze to help convey information beyond words.
So, what style of communication do we see most in Indigenous cultures?
Example: Indigenous Communication
Indigenous communication is quite decidedly high-context. Accordingly, the hallmarks of Indigenous communication, as seen in Section 1, strongly correlate with high-context communicators. For example, storytelling not only communicates implicit morals and messages, but they also convey personal opinion and attitudes in an indirect fashion. In a world in which storytelling predominates, it is no surprise that active listening plays an equally crucial part in the communication process. Through active listening, an aura of respect is maintained, allowing for the facilitation of ideas to come from both sides. Furthermore, in both storytelling and active listening, nonverbal communication has a large role. As discussed in greater detail in Section 4, gestures (hand motions, nodding, etc…) aid in communicating an array of events and personal feelings as a speaker and listener.
Relational communication is best seen as a spectrum. You may even be a low-context communicator in some situations, and high-context in others!
Examples in the Media
Let’s take some time to think of examples of what we have just learned. Please view the following two videos. While doing so, keep in mind the trademarks of relational communication. How do these videos portray these trademarks?
Video #1: Indigenous Canada – A Story to Tell
Video #2: Indigenous storytelling in British Columbia’s Cariboo: Xatśūll
Great job going through some examples of Indigenous communication styles and approaches. Let’s now learn more about recognizing relational communication in the workplace!
