Reflections on Reconciliation and Bridging Now to Next
Article by Harrison French, Communications Specialist at Garlett Group
The Reconciliation movement in Australia has a long way to go to make a significant difference in the lives of Indigenous peoples. Reflecting on Reconciliation ahead of National Reconciliation Week later this month, Emma Garlett says there are significant strides that need to be made in order for this to happen.
Garlett says the re-election of Anthony Albanese and the incumbent Labor government goes a way to making this happen.
However, she noted that the Labor government had unfulfilled promises in the wake of the defeated Voice Referendum in 2023.
“I am a bit concerned about the future, because the last Labor government under Albanese committed to the Uluru statement from the heart, and they did deliver the Voice to Parliament referendum, but they haven’t delivered Truth-Telling or a Treaty yet,” she said.
There was still a large backbone of support for the Voice to Parliament which was a positive sign that there is still hope in implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
“There were still around 40% of people who voted yes, from my view, it’s still a good result to know that 40% of the Australian population voted yes, because there would still be people that support reconciliation, but voted no,” she said.
Indigenous affairs had barely been on the agenda in the lead up to the Federal election and Garlett suggested Labor had a significant opportunity to make a real difference with such a dominant win last Saturday.
The implementation of truth-telling is a critical part of Reconciliation in making a difference and also in allowing Indigenous culture to be better understood and appreciated.
Emma says understanding the past is fundamental to truth-telling.
“Undertstanding… we have had laws and policies in Western Australia and Australia which took away any rights or enable rights, education, and the autonomy of Aboriginal peoples to live their own life. The children were taken in the Stolen Generation, and so it’s really a part of realising that the Government had a role to play …
“The WA Government determined Aboriginal children need to be taken and from their families, and also didn’t provide sufficient health services. And didn’t provide education,” she says.
She believes the WA Government has an opportunity to be a leader in this progress.
“I would really like to see the State Government and WA Premier Roger Cook commit to more truth-telling projects, we had the one in Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) around truth telling about the history. But we need more State funded truth-telling projects of significant history,” she said.
Recognition can still be an important feature of reconciliation agendas.
Emma suggested that pursuing changes to the State Constitution was more likely before approaching any changes within the Federal Constitution.
“It would be really good to see Aboriginal people recognised in the actual body of the West Australian Constitution… So, yes Recognition is important, because if we could get recognition in the West Australian Constitution, not just the preamble, then there could be flow on effects from that as well, such as affirmative action measures,’’ She said.
Another important aspect is incorporating truth-telling into other areas of society.
“Embedding it into primary, high school and university education for the next generation. So, embedding the histories of Aboriginal people, that would be the best thing to do, and then also in any postgraduate courses, not just undergraduate, there is a need to embed the histories and make it compulsory,” she says.
Implementing Cultural Awareness training is also a critical part of reconciliation initiatives.
“If they… (State and Federal Government) had a policy position on mandatory cultural awareness training for people that work in areas where there’s a high indigenous population, or where much of their role is working with Aboriginal people, then it should be an essential part of their training, just like occupational health and safety.
“I’m talking about doctors that work in remote communities or nurses, they definitely should be undertaking cultural awareness training, or police officers, instead of just being something that they might add on to their program,
ReconciliationWA is holding this year’s walk for Reconciliation at Galup (Lake Monger) which was a camping and meeting site – known as place of fires.
Kaarlup (Galup) was the site of a massacre of Noongar people in 1830.
Emma says place-based approaches to reconciliation is crucial when it comes to properly engaging with Indigenous peoples.
“It’s important to recognise all of the different Aboriginal Countries within Australia and Traditional Owner groups. So, when you’re reconciling, when you’re doing reconciliation as a Country, it is important,” she said.
By doing this the traumatic past can also be recognised.
“You’re actually recognising the injustices and the histories and the massacres and the cultures within each Aboriginal Country, because there are over 250 Aboriginal languages in Australia, and over 600 dialects,’’ she says.
“You’re recognising and reconciling with those Traditional Owners from that specific place and the histories that had occurred. And they’re telling the story from their perspective. And that’s really important, it is why it needs to be placed based as well.” she said.
There are several challenges facing Reconciliation which came to the surface at ANZAC Day dawn services a few weeks ago.
At Dawn Services in Melbourne and Kings Park in Perth, there were hecklers shouting during the Welcome to Country ceremonies by Traditional Owners.
“When people think they were literally being Welcomed to Australia, when that’s not the point of a Welcome to Country. So, that wouldn’t have happened if there was broader understanding of reconciliation and the point of it,” she said
The media also plays a significant role in changing the narrative about Indigenous peoples. Because they are guilty of perpetuating a deficit narrative.
“A lot of the public perceptions around Indigenous Affairs are still a predominantly deficit discourse”
“The media definitely should focus on strength-based language, rather than desperate deficit discourse. And some media do. Some media are very progressive, and they do this already,” she says.
“The media has a responsibility to start putting out stories that are strength-based and that celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their successes. And it’s slowly happening, but it is very challenging to change a system as well, because, you know, negative media sells, crime sells, fear sells, anything that scares people, sells papers,” she says.
Emma says some state organisations are starting to follow a slightly different linguistic approach to Reconciliation.
“Some State-based reconciliation organisations are starting to have programs or advocacy around Reconcili-action and that’s more about taking action and not just talking. So that would be the next phase, from going from where we are now to next. It’s not just talking about it and speaking about it, it’s actually doing something,’’ she said.
With Reconciliation week coming up at the end of May, Garlett said the week is always significant for allies to show their support.
“There’s a famous quote, by Dr Richard Walley outlining Aboriginal people have nothing to reconcile. It’s the State, the Government, that have, they’re the ones that have to reconcile. So, when I think about Reconciliation Week, it’s about celebrating or reaffirming the Government’s progress to reconciliation, and then also celebrating and supporting all the allies that join us in the reconciliation journey.”
National Reconciliation Week is celebrated from 27 May to 3 June.