Blakwashing 101
Five short modules and a self-test. By the end you’ll spot a fake “Indigenous-owned” claim faster than most procurement teams — and know exactly what to do about it.
Your progress
0 of 5 modules done
01Module
What blakwashing is 2 min
Organisations falsely claiming to be Indigenous-owned — or exaggerating their involvement with Indigenous communities — to win contracts, credibility or cover. It’s greenwashing’s cousin: the same misleading-claims playbook, run on First Nations identity instead of the environment.
Definition: Blakwashing Ultimate Guide, Barayamal 2024
02Module
The playbook — black cladding 3 min
The procurement version has a shape: set up a joint venture with majority Indigenous ownership on paper, use the badge to win Indigenous procurement contracts, then let the non-Indigenous partner run delivery and take the money. One documented example: the badge-holder kept 15% of revenue while a large consultancy did the entire job.
Pattern: The Hidden Agenda, Barayamal 2023
03Module
Who pays for it 3 min
- Genuine Indigenous businesses lose the contracts these policies were built to send them — an ANU study found half of $7 billion went to just 18 organisations.
- Communities lose the ripple effect: the jobs, skills and profits that should circulate locally.
- Aboriginal women are hit hardest, Barayamal argued in 2025 — cladding concentrates money in the hands least likely to share it.
- Trust erodes — every fake makes life harder for the real thing.
Sources: ANU study, I-News 2025 · Economic violence, I-News 2025
04Module
Spot the signs 3 min
- Vague commitments — big statements, no partner names, no dollar figures, no dates.
- Missing partnerships — no recognised First Nations organisation anywhere in the picture.
- Contradictory history — past conduct that doesn’t match the current marketing.
- Ownership without control — 51% on paper while someone else manages the work and banks the profit.
One rule: the signs test business structure — who owns, controls and benefits. They never question any person’s Aboriginality.
05Module
Do something about it 4 min
- Verify — check for Supply Nation certified status (owned, managed and controlled), not just registered.
- Buy real — use Barayamal’s Aboriginal Business Directory to find genuine First Nations businesses.
- Commit — if you buy for an organisation, back them with real money through the 3% campaign.
- Ask — put the questions from Module 04 to suppliers. Genuine businesses welcome them.
- Report — misleading ownership claims can be reported to the ACCC.
- Share — the reporting archive is free. Patterns die in daylight.
The self-test
Can you spot it?
Four scenarios, three possible calls each. They’re illustrative composites drawn from Barayamal’s published examples — not real companies. “Can’t tell yet” is sometimes the right answer: the test is about evidence, not vibes.
Scenario 1. A fashion label launches a “First Nations Inspired” range. The website says “a portion of proceeds supports community”. No partner is named, no amount is stated, no report is published.
Blakwash-shaped. The vague-commitment sign in its purest form: “a portion”, “community” — no names, no numbers, no dates, while the claim itself is already selling product. Asking is still the right next move — it’s exactly what exposes this one.
Scenario 2. A construction joint venture is 51% Indigenous-owned on paper. The non-Indigenous partner supplies the staff, manages delivery and takes most of the margin through management fees.
Blakwash-shaped — this is textbook black cladding. Ownership sits still while control and profit move elsewhere. It’s why certification tests management and control, not just the share registry.
Scenario 3. A catering company is Supply Nation certified — majority Indigenous owned, managed and controlled. It names its community partners and publishes its Indigenous employment numbers every year.
Genuine — this is what real looks like. Certified status, named partners, published numbers. Specific, verifiable, accountable.
Scenario 4. A two-person Indigenous-owned landscaping startup has no website, no certification yet and quotes by text message. The owner says they’ll register with Supply Nation once the paperwork settles.
Can’t tell yet — ask. Small and scrappy is not a red flag; plenty of genuine businesses start exactly here and certification takes time. This is the trap of over-applying the test: run the six questions before calling it either way.