Always Was, Always Will Be... so what does that mean exactly?
Today I want to raise awareness and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, with the goal of the wider community embracing concepts that have allowed our people to adapt, survive and thrive for over the last 65,000 years.
For over 65,000 years Indigenous people have roamed and nurtured this great land. The First Nation’s people are warriors, they are the definition of resilience. Being the oldest living culture on this earth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have survived hundreds of years of the catastrophic annihilation of their cultural ways, with the loss of their access to country, family ties, songlines, and have been forced to adapt their way of life in order to sustain life for their future generations to come.
Did you know Australia is the only Commonwealth nation that does NOT have a treaty with its First Nations peoples? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still yet to be recognised in the Australian Constitution! How is this possible in today's day and age you might ask? I think it comes down to Australia as a whole, not wanting to acknowledge the past, acknowledge the hurt, acknowledge the wrongdoing.
We (yes you included) have a part to play in the Australian narrative we are currently creating. I challenge you to consider what part you are playing? We are at a critical point in history, where we have the opportunity and responsibility to tell the true Australian story and change the current narrative. Who are we as individual people, and who are we as a collective?
I don't want my kids and grandkids to still have to be fighting for their right to be recognised and valued as Indigenous Australians. I want them to live in an era where Aboriginality will not be defined by skin colour, geographical location, or social demographic, but in the DNA of the collective will be the DNA of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. In essence, the strong sense of self, belongingness, and connection that comes with that will flow through the veins of generations from now.
Aboriginality is going to be defined by the human connection people make between each other, and with the land, they are lucky enough to live on. When you incorporate in your thinking, the multicultural world that has come to these shores and realise the oldest living culture is the base of the Australian population, you realise it is a strength to be celebrated.
I urge you to get out and about within your communities this NAIDOC week. Sit, listen, learn, and reflect on what role you will be playing in our shared narrative.
Find out more at https://www.naidoc.org.au