Sorry Day
26 May and Reconciliation Week has arrived carrying the theme Now More Than Ever. The theme is clever,
timely and so relevant to our times. The term ‘Reconciliation’ has been part of
the vernacular since the 1990s and has defined efforts to bring First Nations
and the rest of us together. Yet post-referendum many are questioning what
reconciliation stands for and maybe it is time for new directions. This
presents a challenge to Reconciliation Australia and Reconciliation WA. So I’ve been watching and listening to voices
to understand how the landscape may be shifting
At the
Danjoo Koorliny festival in March I attended a circle breakout session led by
three young Noongar artists. They spoke of the loss of the referendum as deeply
hurtful and are now emerging with a new sense of purpose. One said she is
finished with doing art sessions for corporates and community events and will
now only work with kids and Noongars. Another said she is not sure what she
will do but she knows she will not go back to what she had been doing –
applying for grants and being in the wajela way of being. There was a sense of
support amongst themselves and excitement of the unknown path ahead. They all
agreed they want to do things their own way where ever that may lead. My role?
Allow them the space and offer support when the time comes.
Other
voices also speak in terms of self-determining ways of being and advised us
wajelas to be listening and supporting their approaches and to stop dictating
how they should be. Rather than them attending our events and our RAP efforts, they
wanted us to turn up to their events – which is what Danjoo Koorliny
represents. Today I went to the Fremantle Arts Centre to see Revealed – an exhibition
featuring new and emerging artists celebrating ‘the diversity, talent and
passion of contemporary Aboriginal Art practice in Western Australia’.
The Allies for Uluru dialog has
heard from emerging First Nation voices urging us to remain committed to the
Uluru process for Truth Telling Voice and Treaty despite the Voice element
being hit on the head in the Federal context.
Personally
so many times I’ve thought of good ideas and expected others to agree – ‘what if
we had a reconciliation labyrinth on the river and get Noongar leaders to talk
about the significance of the place’ or my judgemental assessments of
indigenous art and thinking how I can be inspired to recreate my own
interpretations.
The
fundamentals of the Reconciliation process remain – to establish relationships
and make connections, recognise and acknowledge history and cultural wisdom,
and to make reparations for healing. Many times I’ve been advised that we have lots
of work to do on our side and we should allow Noongar leaders to do what they need
to do themselves.
There are voices that have moved to truth-telling as a needed process and I can understand how that acknowledgement still does not extend through our communities. I agree that what is more important than truth telling is truth LISTENING as so much has already been told the problem is on the listening side!
The call
for healing remains and is certainly needed Now More Than Ever. The healing is
on many levels – individually, communally and for country including our lands, waters
and sky. So my byline for this week is ‘Be a part of the healing of country and
community’.
So in the
Active Hope context:
Gratitude: I’m very grateful to the elders who hold the
wisdom people who have been resilient.
Honouring the Pain: I acknowledge the dents in hopes for the
voice, and more broadly the failure to listen and acknowledge the shortcomings of
our western approaches.
Seeing with new eyes: There are so many ways to tap into
different ways of seeing the world. Trevor Ryan (ECU) described today the need
to tune into the vibrations and I admit that I’m a long way from that level of
connection.
Going Forth: I commit to listening to voices and country
and specifically to learning more noongar words to try and understand Noongar
ways of framing our world. As Cass Lynch says how to be ‘living a good life on
Noongar country’.
Photo: my pavement art, 26 May 2024.
