The shifting landscapes of reconciliation

 

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.