I am mad. I feel heavy. I feel emotionally, physically, and spiritually heavy. I feel claustrophobic in my own skin. With everything stirring in the media at the moment, it's just a reminder of everything that has been happening in Australia.
I have a duty to my family. I have a duty to my brothers and sisters. I have a duty as a citizen of society. We have a duty to those who did not get the chance to speak out.
If you honestly don't think we live in a country that is not filled with racism, then you have been blinded. Society has let you down.
If you don't know the names of Ms Dhu, Chad Riley, Kumanjayi Langdon, and the countless other names who have died at the hands of people in position of power, then you need to take off your rose-coloured glasses and take another look at the world around you. This is not to mention the thousands and thousands of unknown names over the last 250* years of people who have been murdered in cold blood. Let us not forget this country was built on the mass genocide and bones of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
As Desmond Tutu said:
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."
I am calling to you, my friends, to stand up and have a voice. We need to do more. It is not enough to be silent. It is not enough to sit on the sidelines and say that this does not apply to you. This applies to all of us. We are all in this together.
STOP saying "All lives matter" as a response to "Black lives matter". Stop saying "I don't see in colour". Stop telling me I cannot be Indigenous because of my fair skin, as if you have the right to try to question my identity. Stop asking me what percentage I am as if my Indigeneity and spiritual connection is something that can be quantified.
The only way forward is to be a more collective society, but how can we move forward as a society when we are live under a system that was never intended to protect First Nation peoples? This is why we need things like the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We need a First Nations voice in parliament and constitutional change.
So, I ask you, as a citizen of society, what part are you playing in this world? Are you trying to make it a better and equal place for all? Educate yourself. It's okay to not know it all. Research. Go have a yarn with someone in your local community. If you have kids, are you talking about to them about racism, bigotry, and Australia's true shared history? We MUST break this cycle.
You best believe I will always speak out in the face of injustice and I hope you do too. I will always use my social platforms to raise awareness of these ongoing injustices. Do everything you can. Flood your news-feeds, join a march, buy a statement shirt, and start up some conversations within your immediate group. Whenever I am overwhelmed, I always remember, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time" (metaphorically of course). It's the small things you do each day that can help this world become a better and more equal place for all.
At this point, I hope you are asking yourself, okay what can I do to help, where do I start?
READ! Dark Emu - Bruce Pascoe. Growing up Aboriginal in Australia - Anita Heiss. Australia Day - Stan Grant. There's so much information out there. Re-educate yourself and decolonise your reading.
WATCH! Mabo – Life of an Island Man (1997), Utopia (2013), The Apology (2008), Rabbit Proof Fence (2002).
LISTEN! Get in touch with your local community. Sit down, have a yarn, and listen to their stories.
ACT! See what local peaceful marches or protests are happening in your local community. Join in. We need allies.
To my Indigenous brothers and sisters around the world, I am with you. To my non-indigenous allies, I see you. We must learn from the past, we are making our future. Let's make it a good one.
Thank you for reading.
Love,
Nova xo
