The Uluru statement and referendum isn’t asking a lot from us - primarily that we listen and own our truth, which any decent society would do
hy would an old white guy support an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to parliament? On the surface, this is a simple question, but on reflection it became complex and multi-layered. I don’t have the answers to the many problems Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still face in Australia. They have experienced too many “old white guys” presuming to have the answers over too many decades.
The period since 2016 has been life-changing for me. During this time, I’ve made 15 or so consultancy trips toand the Northern Peninsula Area of Cape York. Initially I was asked to review why some government responses to recent plant pest incursions had not been successful. But very quickly the work became much broader. It’s amazing how the direction of our work can change when you listen to what people have to say.
On a more personal note, I’ve made some great friends and learned so much from listening and working with some wonderful people. I shared stories about our late fathers with a good friend from Masig Island. We talked about how white Australians and Torres Strait communities manage their funerals differently. I liked their way better.
So, there’s the logic, but for me there is also a less tangible side to this. I am deeply ashamed about the horrendous atrocities inflicted by our society on traditional custodians. I guess we are all in some small way responsible for inadvertently displacing them. Given what has occurred, I think that the Uluru statement is incredibly generous, not seeking retribution, but reconciliation.
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