NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate and reflect on the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As Australians deepen their understanding of sustainability, climate action, and circular economy models, there’s a growing recognition of the wisdom First Nations communities have practiced for tens of thousands of years.
In 2025, while modern sustainability brands like FabPatch advocate for repair over replacement, it's important to acknowledge that the concept of repair culture isn’t new. In fact, it’s deeply rooted in the traditions of Australia’s First Peoples.
This NAIDOC Week, we explore what the modern repair movement can learn from First Nations knowledge systems, and why true sustainability means centering Indigenous voices.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples: The World’s Oldest Continuous Cultures
First Nations peoples have lived on the Australian continent for over 65,000 years, making theirs the oldest continuing culture on Earth. Sustainability has never been a buzzword in these communities—it’s a way of life.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldview is based on a deep spiritual connection to Country—a term that encompasses land, water, skies, all living and non-living things. This relationship is not one of ownership, but of responsibility, stewardship, and care.
What is “Repair Culture”?
In today’s context, repair culture refers to the growing movement encouraging individuals and brands to fix, mend, and maintain goods—especially clothing—rather than discarding them. This mindset directly challenges fast fashion, planned obsolescence, and linear consumption.
Globally, repair culture is gaining momentum:
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In 2023, the EU proposed a "right to repair" law to reduce consumer waste.
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Patagonia, Nudie Jeans, and FabPatch have built strong followings by prioritising repair over replacement.
- Australia now sees a rise in visible mending, upcycling workshops, and repair cafés in urban centres.
However, these practices—often celebrated as new trends—are part of ancient Indigenous lifeways that predate global fashion by millennia.
First Nations Sustainability Is Circular by Design
In First Nations cultures, materials were always used carefully, reused repeatedly, and passed down. Some examples include:
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Possum skin cloaks: These were patched, extended, and mended through life and into death. Today, they are considered sacred artefacts and cultural expressions.
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Woven baskets and dilly bags: Created from plant fibres using weaving techniques that allowed them to be unmade and reworked.
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Stone tools: Sharpened, reshaped, and repurposed rather than discarded.
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Message sticks and ceremonial objects: Maintained, preserved, and repaired across generations.
There was no concept of waste. Every object had a life cycle—and that cycle was respected.
3 Key Lessons Repair Culture Can Learn from First Nations Knowledge
1. Repair is Relationship-Based, Not Transactional
First Nations repair practices were not simply functional—they were relational. Items were repaired because they held meaning. They were linked to family, Country, ceremony, and identity.
Modern repair culture tends to focus on utility or cost savings. Learning from Indigenous knowledge means understanding repair as a form of care, honour, and respect—not just convenience.
2. Everything Has Value — Even When Broken
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures teach that all things—from tools to ecosystems—have value beyond their immediate use. A broken item isn’t waste; it’s a story in progress.
This worldview challenges the Western capitalist idea that worth is tied to productivity or appearance. Repair, in this context, becomes an act of resistance against disposability.
3. Knowledge is Passed On, Not Patented
First Nations cultures are oral knowledge systems, built on observation, sharing, and custodianship. Techniques for crafting, maintaining, and repairing were passed down from Elders—not hidden or trademarked.
Today, many repair skills have been lost due to consumerism. To revive them, we need community-based knowledge sharing—like workshops, schools, and intergenerational learning spaces.
Why This Matters for Fashion & Sustainability Brands
For brands working in repair and circular fashion—like FabPatch—acknowledging and learning from First Nations systems is both ethical and necessary.
According to the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, Indigenous peoples make up 5% of the global population but protect over 80% of the world's biodiversity.
This isn’t a coincidence. It’s because Indigenous knowledge systems are place-based, cyclical, and deeply sustainable.
A Note on Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Respect
Learning from First Nations knowledge means more than quoting ancient wisdom. It means:
✅ Recognising ongoing sovereignty and connection to Country
✅ Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
✅ Crediting sources and sharing platform space
✅ Avoiding the extraction of knowledge for profit
NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for brands and consumers alike to reflect on how sustainability movements can honour, not appropriate, First Nations wisdom.
FabPatch and Community-Led Repair
At FabPatch, we believe repair should be accessible, visible, and values-driven. Our mission is to reduce textile waste, support circular habits, and build a new normal where repairing is easier than replacing.
We also know that building a future that lasts means learning from the past—and respecting the cultures that have cared for this land long before us.
As we celebrate NAIDOC Week, we acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, on whose land our work is based. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.
We believe there is no environmental justice without First Nations justice.
Final Thoughts
Repair culture isn’t a new movement—it’s a return to values long held by the oldest cultures on Earth.
As we work to slow down fast fashion, extend the life of garments, and reduce our impact on the planet, the wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples offers not just inspiration, but guidance.
This NAIDOC Week, let’s do more than celebrate. Let’s listen, learn, and embed Indigenous knowledge into how we repair, consume, and care for the world around us.
Artwork - Ngatijirri Jukurrpa by Napurrurla (Budgerigar Dreaming by Charmaine Brown) licensed and used on our BUDGIE patches.