In This Together: Why We Can’t Have Reconciliation Until We Have Justice
Irene Higgins
Following National Sorry Day on the 26th of May - a day of remembrance and acknowledgement of the atrocities committed during the Stolen Generations - National Reconciliation Week hit the ground running on the 27th of May with a series of virtual events. This year’s theme for National Reconciliation Week centres around being ‘in this together.’ Given the current COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 theme seeks to resonate with and encourage Australians to form a united front on the movement towards reconciliation. Summer May Finlay, a Yorta Yorta woman, public health professional and PhD candidate, wrote that this week marks ‘...an ideal time for non-Indigenous people to stop and reflect on how real they are about engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues.’
“Today we work together to further that national journey towards a fully reconciled country.”
As a proud Wiradjuri woman, I also see Reconciliation Week as a great opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to make sure their voices are heard. Both as a student at the University of Sydney, and as a strong advocate for the importance of Indigenous education, I have always greatly appreciated the voice and platform that my university has provided for me to discuss these issues of inequality. When I think about reconciliation in my own life, I look to the amazing opportunities I have had to become involved in programs and foundations that are actively working to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
At the University of Sydney, National Reconciliation Week began with an Opening Ceremony on Monday the 25th of May, and was followed on Wednesday by a recital of the Uluru Statement of the Heart by Thomas Mayor, a Torres Strait Islander and author who journeyed across the country and spoke with thousands of Australians to gather support for the statement. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a call to action addressed directly to the Australian people. The Statement marks a consensus between many Indigenous communities ‘coming from all points of the southern sky’ and demands substantive (not merely symbolic) reform of the Australian constitution to recognise the sovereignty of the Indigenous people of Australia.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart brings forward the idea of ‘Voice, Treaty, Truth.’ Most importantly, the Statement seeks a representative Voice for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, enshrined in the Australian Constitution. The Uluru Statement is regarded by most as the clear path for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
Given the national importance of this document, I strongly believe it is a piece of writing that should be read not only be Indigenous Australians, but by all Australian citizens. While many individuals, organisations and communities have expressed their support for the Uluru Statement, recent devastation in Pilbara, Western Australia, shows us that now more than ever, Australia needs concrete reform that allows for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a voice in this country.
The Uluru Statement: A Call for Action, not a Call for Support
Rio Tinto’s Destruction of a 46,000 year-old Aboriginal Cultural Site in the Pilbara Region
One day before Reconciliation Week commenced this year, the Rio Tinto mining company saw to the destruction of a sacred Aboriginal site in order to expand upon their iron ore mines. As a signatory supporter of the Uluru Statement, and given their ongoing negotiations and communications with the traditional owners of the land - the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura tribes - these actions are reprehensible, and, more upsettingly, irreversible. With appropriate action, and protective legislation, this tragedy could have been prevented. Meanwhile, an official apology is yet to be released. This is not the spirit of reconciliation to say the least.
While many across social media voiced their shock and outrage at this, it is not the first time something of this level of ignorance or devastation has occurred. The past year alone has seen more than its fair share of destruction of Indigenous heritage sites. Though many, including myself, regarded the closure of the Uluru climb as a cause for celebration of the protection of a valued and sacred site, the final days of its being open were met with an influx of tourists rushing to climb Uluru before the scheduled climbing ban. Not only was this an upsetting way to remember the final days before Uluru was finally protected, but business lobbyists are now demanding the climb be reopened (after less than a year) to boost the Northern Territory tourism industry following the devastating economic effects of COVID-19. This use of the current COVID-19 crisis for the sake of people’s own vulturist, financial greed, reverses the hard work of Indigenous communities and policy makers to protect Uluru in the first place.
As a member of the Wiradjuri mob, I was hit particularly hard during the Murray-Darling Basin crisis and was disgusted to see how unreasonable and unsustainable the water management policies implemented by the Australian Government were. Water is viewed as being a central part of life, especially in the culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and this only made the loss more devastating. There is no doubt in my mind that an Indigenous Voice and appropriate allocation of water resources to Native Title would have prevented this environmental damage. Having an Indigenous voice to prevent these situations from happening in the first place can be an important factor for protecting both the cultural heritage of Indigenous peoples and also the country that we all share.
What You Can Do This Reconciliation Week
This ongoing loss of invaluable cultural heritage due to inadequate policy indicates that if we as Australians are to truly be ‘in this together,’ we cannot simply focus on an apology, but must actively work towards and advocate for systemic change. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are calling for more concrete reform to protect and empower Indigenous peoples in this country. If non-Indigenous Australia is truly committed to reconciliation, they must answer this call.
National Reconciliation Week 2020 will end on Wednesday June 3 and before the week comes to a close, I encourage you, dear reader, to consider becoming involved in NRW in the following ways:
Look into and become educated about current policy development, especially the Uluru Statement from the Heart which can be read HERE.
Be open to learning about Indigenous culture as it stands today. Listen to your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peers. The University of Sydney is providing some incredible events in the coming week that are perfect for NRW!
On Tuesday 2 June at 11.30am, the University of Sydney will conduct a Culture Forum on how we can best contribute towards the reconciliation movement in our daily lives, which you can register for HERE.
On Wednesday 3 June at 12pm, you can attend the Demystifying of the ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ event. A common mistake I have repeatedly come across in my own life is that many people fail to distinguish between a ‘Welcome to Country’ and an ‘Acknowledgement of Country.’ Given that an ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ is something we hear regularly at meetings, seminars and lectures, this event provides great practical insight into a fundamental tradition in Indigenous culture. Click HERE to register.
3. Engage more with the Indigenous community. I always recommend supporting a local Indigenous community, program or organisation. In addition, Summer May Finlay wrote an incredible article that I highly recommend about why we need more accomplices to ‘stand and act with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.’ Indigenous Australians only represent 3% of the population. It is as a collective country that we will be able to affect real change.
Overall, National Reconciliation Week 2020 provides an opportunity to truly reflect upon reconciliation and its collective meaning for all of us as Australians. Whilst we are stuck at home, it is vital to remain vigilant supporters of the movement for equality and equity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians rather than merely passively acknowledging its importance.