Latest news with #NationalReconciliationWeek
West Australian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Emma Garlett: Ask yourself if you are an ally and if you are doing enough to support First Nations causes
Diversity strategy. Check. Multicultural team. Check. Cultural awareness training. Check. But what does this all mean? Surely more than the pieces of paper they are written on. Some professions see more exposure to First Nations peoples and communities than others. But chances are with around one million Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, you will have either worked with, know of or be friends with a First Nations person. You have to decide — do I to ignore First Nations people or be an ally? An ally is a person who actively supports reconciliation in its many forms between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Allies seek opportunities to amplify First Nations voices and seek information to learn from. There's the many face-value acts of allyship that are great when beginning your reconciliation journey or to reignite the momentum — breakfasts, cultural events and discussions held especially during National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week are the most visible forms of engagement. While I encourage everyone to attend these events for exposure to and celebration of culture, there is a pressing need to go deeper than the surface. As an employee or an employer, inviting First Nations peoples to share their culture through training and workshops is a great first step to fostering understanding and seeing the world through a different perspective to foster a culturally safe environment for everyone. Going beyond this, it is great to explore if your organisation has longer term plans to embed diversity, respect and contagious learning of First Nations peoples and culture. This could include the development and implementation of a Reconciliation Action Plan or a cultural audit to understand your strengths and weaknesses. Another way is through opportunities for cultural recognition, like place-naming, language and arts in your home or workplace. If you've ever been across the Tasman to New Zealand, you'll see the amazing cultural celebration that has occurred, with Maori art, language and place-naming commonplace. Doing the same here in Australia would be a welcome step. The better equipped you are to help, the better the future will be for our children and their children. Supporting First Nations peoples is more than acknowledging atrocities and mistreatment — we are more than the sum total of a deficit discourse narrative. NAIDOC week takes place next month, I challenge you to be better prepared than you were for National Reconciliation Week and bring about deeper change in either your personal or professional environments. Be open, be positive, be proud.
West Australian
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
More than 1500 people turn out for WA Day at the Geraldton Museum
A gloomy forecast gave way to sunshine as more than 1500 people turned out for WA Day celebrations at the Geraldton Museum on Monday. The chance of bad weather forced organisers to turn to plan B, with some of the events and activities cancelled or moved indoors. However, clear skies prevailed for most of the day allowing locals and families the chance to enjoy a day packed full of activities. The free event provided open access to explore the museum and exhibits including the Best Moments on Country exhibition, to mark National Reconciliation Week 2025. The day offered guests the chance to take part in art workshops, face painting and plenty of hands-on fun for kids. Outside, the museum lawns and Museum Lane were transformed into a vibrant festival space with food vans offering a multicultural feast. Museum of Geraldton regional manager Leigh O'Brien estimated between 1500-2000 people attended and enjoyed the activities during the day. WA Day is a day of celebration for all things Western Australian, recognising the importance of Aboriginal history, the role of early European settlers and the multitude of cultures who have made, and continue to make the State their home.
Sky News AU
03-06-2025
- General
- Sky News AU
‘Sorry sign' spotted in front of Victorian school as National Reconciliation Week ends
Sky News host Caleb Bond comments on a 'sorry sign' spotted in front of a Victorian school. This comes amid National Reconciliation Week. 'I think it's gone a little bit too far in this case, and I have no problem in saying that as a country, of course, we should all strive towards reconciliation,' Mr Bond said. 'The activists, of course, mean that we should divide people. 'They've taken it one step over the marker, I think, and have put a sign out the front of the school … which says 'sorry'.'
ABC News
02-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Aunty Denise Willis guides students through the smoking ceremony at the reconciliation walk.
More than 600 people gathered for the annual reconciliation school walk in Warilla to mark National Reconciliation Week, bringing to life this year's theme: 'Bridging Now to Next'.
ABC News
02-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Students across Illawarra walk for Reconciliation Week
Hundreds of school students from across the Illawarra region of the New South Wales south coast have walked on Dharawal country to show their support for reconciliation — 25 years on from the landmark walk over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. More than 35 schools participated in the walk to mark National Reconciliation Week, bringing to life this year's theme: Bridging Now to Next. "It's a brilliant opportunity to bring all the community together, and more importantly, we're teaching young kids — both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal — about Aboriginal culture," Uncle Darrell Brown told the ABC's Indigenous Affairs Team. Students and teachers made their way from the Warilla Surf Club to Reddall Parade where they took part in a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country. "When we do a Welcome to Country, we're speaking to the ancestors who protect the country, saying, look we're here, we're visiting, please protect us," said Yuin woman Maiquilla Brown. Ms Brown, the Aboriginal community planner at Shellharbour City Council, said the recent discussion around winding back Welcome to Country ceremonies shows a lack of understanding of First Nations people and culture. "We're not talking about welcoming people to Australia or a nation or a country as a whole. "It's welcoming people into that small area of land or physical country, and all the cultural and spiritual connections to that area." After the Welcome, the group held a minute's silence to pay homage to elders who have passed. They celebrated the spirit of reconciliation with a flag exchange between students and local elders. "It's amazing to me, seeing all the kids willing to put on the ochre and coming out here today," said Koorin Campbell, who played didgeridoo for the Gumaraa dancers who performed on the day. "We get to walk with our culture and our religion," one young student told the ABC. "[It's] learning about your culture, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous people [coming together]," another said. Lake Illawarra High has been participating in the local reconciliation walk since its inception 18 years ago. Behind the scenes is Aunty Denise Willis, an Aboriginal liaison officer who has worked at the school for over 25 years. It's an event she looks forward to each year. "We can walk the walk and be strong, powerful and not afraid. It makes us very proud of our community," she said. The long fight for Indigenous rights hasn't been easy, and it's something Aunty Denise doesn't shy away from. "I'm one of the older girls that experienced difficult times," she reflected. "To talk about reconciliation … means recognising our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and looking at the injustices that they have faced and where we are today. "We're heading in the right direction, but we've got heaps more to do." Lake Illawarra High's commitment to reconciliation is displayed in the Aboriginal murals in the playground and the growth in First Nations enrolment rates, led by Aunty Denise's work. "Seeing the younger generations, non-Indigenous people walking together and supporting our people, I feel emotional because it's a wonderful thing to see that progress happening," she said. Shellharbour City Council has been organising the reconciliation walk for almost two decades. For the council's Ms Brown, reconciliation "starts with empathy and understanding". "We need young people to understand the impacts of truth-telling and learning about Aboriginal history," she said. "Reconciliation for me, it really means reflection, thinking about what's happened in the past, all those atrocities, all the barriers and inequalities, and thinking about how we can make the future a better place for everyone." Ms Brown noted that the walk draws First Nations people with cultural connections across the east coast. "Our guests also have European or international family members … so it's important we share our culture so they can participate in it, learn it and embrace it," she said. "As long as we want to keep moving together and making Australia better for everybody, right now, reconciliation is the best strategy we've got. "If we step back from that, then we don't have anything to help us advance an Australia where Aboriginal people feel equal." Respected Yuin Elder Uncle Gerald Brown — known affectionately as Uncle Gee — has been involved in many of the previous years' walks, including performing the Welcome to Country for over a decade. "I get a lot of satisfaction out of it," he said. Reflecting on Australia's progress to reconciliation, including his disappointment at the outcome of the Voice referendum, Uncle Gee said the event gives him hope. "It's different now to when we went to school, we were never allowed to go to anything like this, so we're making a change for the better, I believe, anyway," he said.
