Reconciliation What is Reconciliation Unity and respect between
Reconciliation
What is Reconciliation? �Unity and respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-indigenous Australians. �Respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and valuing justice and equity for all Australians.
Indigenous View of Land � It is through land that religion, law and customs are interpreted and the land itself is considered to be sacred. � It is through the Dreaming that Aboriginal people interpret how the landscapes were made. They believe that ancestors created the landscapes once they had died, establishing a sacred bond with the land. � http: //dl. nfsa. gov. au/module/726/
Terra Nullius �European legal concept meaning that the land belonged to no-one. When the British arrived in Australia they claimed that there was no sign of a ‘civilised’ people and could therefore claim the Australian continent without paying compensation.
Injustices in our history � Terra Nullius and violence against indigenous Australians with colonisation of Australia. � Excluding indigenous Australians from participation in our democracy. � Stolen Generations. � Less access to educational and employment opportunities, higher rates of poverty and dramatically lower life expectancy http: //generationone. org. au/facts-that-matter
Reconciliation Milestones: 1967 Referendum � 1957 petition launched for a referendum to make Aboriginal affairs a federal responsibility. � 1962 Commonwealth legislated right of Aboriginal people to vote in Federal elections. � 1967 Referendum: 90% Australian voted to remove clauses in Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous Australians.
Reconciliation Milestone: Mabo Native Title Decision 1992. � The Mabo Decision made by the High Court of Australia on 3 June 1992: under Australian law, Indigenous people have rights to land - rights that existed before colonisation and which still exist. This right is called native title. the legal fiction that when Australia was “discovered” by Captain Cook in 1788 it was terra nullius, an empty or uncivilised land was declared invalid by this decision.
Reconciliation Milestone: 2008 Formal apology by PM Kevin Rudd � 13 February 2008, the PM Kevin Rudd tabled a motion in Parliament apologising to Australia’s indigenous people, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities for laws and policies that had inflicted grief, suffering and loss. � The apology included a proposal for a policy commission to close the gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.
How can I contribute to Reconciliation? � Value Indigenous people and what they contribute to Australia including their culture and knowledge. � Support policies that attempt to redress inequalities in health, education and employment outcomes. � Participate in reconciliation events including http: //generationone. org. au/ National Reconciliation Week
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