National Reconciliation Week 2021: 27 May – 3 June
National Reconciliation Week is a time for recognition of the journey all Australians are on to bridge the divides between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. It is also a time to acknowledge that we all have a part to play in this process — whether as individuals, families, communities, or organisations.
The 2021 theme is More than a word: Reconciliation takes action. When I first read these words, as an Anaiwan woman, my first thought was of Sorry Day and Kevin Rudd’s national Apology in 2008. The idea for an apology was originally suggested in the Bringing Them Home Report of 1997 regarding the Stolen Generations — a recommendation that took 11 years to turn to what felt like sincere words. However, being a part of Indigenous Australia and seeing the continuation of child removals via welfare services occurring at higher levels for Indigenous people compared to our non-Indigenous counterparts has been disheartening when the possibility of supporting children and families within communities exists.
When our life and health outcomes are still significantly poorer than non-Indigenous Australians, we need actionable change as much as ever. It is much easier for a country’s native and non-native people to start healing wounds when we acknowledge the truth of what is happening, both past and present day, and take a community approach to resolution.
Oodgeroo (Noonuccal) has a beautiful poem that seems a fitting note to end on called ‘Aboriginal Charter of Rights’ from 1962. It may be long to share in full here, however its parting words contain much wisdom in relation to reconciliation:
"Make us mates, not poor relations,
Citizens, not serfs on stations.
Must we native Old Australians
In our land rank as aliens?
Banish bans and conquer caste,
Then we’ll win our own at last."- Oodgeroo Noonuccal
You can find the full poem in My People by Oodgeroo Noonuccal. For further resources and posters, please visit the Reconciliation Australia website.