Someone recently suggested that the Aboriginal people were not actually the original owners, but I don’t think many of us would be interested in recognising some people who were possibly here more than 40 thousand years ago. Also, they were not affected by the arrival of those of us who came more recently.
Many of us celebrated the “Sorry Day” led by the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. It was certainly a special event. However, saying “sorry” means little unless we then enact a new relationship with those people who were affected by our taking over their land.
There is now more discussion by Adam Goodes, and the various parties represented in the federal parliament, about changing our Constitution to recognise Indigenous people. Although such changes would, in one sense, be symbolic, such formalities do matter and could lead us into further activities related to justice and equality.
The response by the monarchists that this could lead to violence, given some graffiti-ing activities around Australia/Survival Day, should not be taken seriously. The very fact that the monarchists drew attention to the Australia/Survival Day activities is not really helpful. Why don’t they simply speak out in favour of the change in the Constitution, so that all sorts of people are gathered into its support?
The SSH fully believes that such a change is the least we can do to respect those who are the traditional owners of this land. We are also glad that Adam Goodes was recognised as one of our leaders, in the honouring of, and developing deeper and more just community among us. We experience the many gifts of Indigenous people in our own South Sydney area.
In fact, the SSH was begun around 13 years ago precisely because we felt that the mainstream media only published bad news coming out of the Redfern/Waterloo area. We knew that, in fact, there were many great stories of the life of Indigenous people here, both as individuals and as part of this community and there still are those enlightening and encouraging lives.
All of us who have migrated here over the centuries, both as boat people and as other immigrants, live each day with a profound sense of gratitude for all that we have received from this land, that which was so carefully respected and cared for by its Indigenous owners. Maybe we could learn much for our future by listening and looking at the way they did that.
May our country, one day, be genuinely “the land of the fair go” so that we can all truly celebrate our life together each year.
