Words in action | Reconciliation Week, unity now

Today, May 27, is the start of Reconciliation Week.

The dates for the week — May 27 to June 3 — remain the same each year. The week is bookended by two significant dates on the path to a reconciled country.

May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum when Australians voted to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

June 3 — Mabo Day — marks the historic 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised native title. This decision acknowledged that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over their lands did survive British colonisation.

Mabo Day also honours the tenacity of the lead plaintiff in the case, Eddie Koiki Mabo, and the legacy of his long battle to have his rights to land recognised by the highest court of Australia.

This decision overthrew the prevailing idea of ‘terra nullius’ — that the land, claimed by white settlers, belonged to no-one.

It was this legal concept that stripped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of their traditional rights to lands and attempted to sever connections to cultures dating back 65,000 years.

At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples.

This land has such an amazing story — a story that reaches back into the mists of time — and it is a story of which we can all be proud and share. It is a way to bring us together as a nation.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Australia’s colonial history is characterised by devastating land dispossession, violence and racism.

Over the past half-century, however, many significant steps towards reconciliation have been taken.

Reconciliation is an ongoing journey that reminds us that while generations of Australians have fought hard for meaningful change, future gains are likely to take just as much, if not more, effort.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part, we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and futures.

The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will — and must — continue.

There have been many moments in Australia’s reconciliation journey that make us want to turn away. But when things are divisive, the worst thing we can do is disengage or disconnect.

Now more than ever, we need to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation. We know that the 6.2 million Australians who voted Yes to the Voice are committed to better outcomes for First Nations people.

Reconciliation supporters must stand up to defend and uphold the rights of First Nations peoples. To call out racism wherever we encounter it and to actively reinforce the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this continent.

In a post-referendum world, we can no longer accept more of the same.

Now more than ever, the work must continue.

Now more than ever, we need commitment.

Now more than ever, tackling the significant levels of racism is fundamental to a more cohesive and strong nation.

Now more than ever, there is a need to tackle the levels of ignorance and misunderstanding about the ongoing impacts of colonisation.

As Reconciliation Australia chief executive Karen Mundine said when speaking about the 2024 National Reconciliation Week theme:

“Now more than ever, there is an opportunity to make a difference in this country, to challenge the status quo and not let another generation be lost to systems that were not built for First Nations people nor the diversity of Australia in the 21st century.

“Now more than ever, it is time to learn from the lessons of the past and accept that without the full engagement of First Nations peoples in this country’s life, Australia will be forever diminished.

“Now more than ever, it will take each of us who can see the benefits and opportunities of making space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and our ways of being, knowing and doing to advocate for and defend those rights against those who would limit or take them away.”

Now More Than Ever, we need action in treaty-making, truth-telling, understanding our history, education and tackling racism.

We need a connection.

We need respect.

And we need change.

As Karen Mundine summed it up: “We need you and reconciliation, Now More Than Ever.”