We are a cobbled-together nation, with migrants and their descendants sharing these ancient lands and water with the custodians who had cared for them for millennia – the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
It has been almost 240 years since the First Fleet forced our geographical cohabitation, but there are still deep divisions to breach and understandings to acquire.
Sometimes, for everyday people, the divide and the differences between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians feel insurmountable.
But uncomfortable as it might be, come alongside each other we must: it is unimaginable that our progress is stunted because we have become used to rancour and discomfort.
As a non-Indigenous Australian, I sought out opportunities and courses on Indigenous knowledges and culture at UniSC in the past year to improve my own understanding, feeling the only way forward was to hear the stories and eyeball the little-known and uncomfortable parts of our nation’s history first.
The revelations were startling and moved me, even if my ancestors only moved to Australia four generations ago.
I was left feeling each of us must grasp opportunities for learning, as it is the only way to move towards cohesion and harmony. If we keep doing what we are doing, we will stay where we are.
National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week – two significant days for Indigenous Australians but also the rest of us – are around the corner again, and the annual observances are a chance yet again to learn and move forward.
In the spirit of understanding, and as a longtime journalist, amplification of what it is all about seems timely and a positive step.
As an optimist, my hope is that we are open to a brighter future together, something that can only be achieved by learning from our shared past.
What is National Sorry Day?
May 26 is National Sorry Day. On this day, we remember the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families under official government policies during the Assimilation Era of 1910-1970, with the aim of blending the Indigenous population into the non-Indigenous community.
The children were renamed, forced to stop speaking their native language and were told their parents no longer wanted them.
The children who were taken from their families have become known as the Stolen Generations. Many of the survivors have shared their accounts of the violence they endured and the ongoing pain they experience as they try to find their families.
Some have found their families, but many have not and this loss resonates in all aspects of their lives. Their losses were impacted on more recent generations, raised by those bereft of identity, culture and belonging.
On May 26, we acknowledge the ongoing grief and loss experienced by many individuals and families, and recognise the pain and intergenerational trauma that continues.
When was the first National Sorry Day?
The first National Sorry Day was held on May 26, 1998, one year after the tabling of the report from the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families.
Almost a decade later, on February 13, 2008, then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered an apology to members of the Stolen Generations.
This is often heralded as a historic day, because it was important for people who had been impacted by being forcibly removed from their families to hear government acknowledgement that the policies had been wrong.
What is National Reconciliation Week?
National Reconciliation Week is a designated time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories and cultures and to explore ways we can all contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
The theme for this year is “Bridging Now to Next”, reflecting the ongoing connection between today and tomorrow, urging us all to push forward towards a more united and respectful nation, with past lessons guiding us.
When is National Reconciliation Week?
National Reconciliation Week this year is May 27 to June 3.
There will be events, ceremonies and public awareness campaigns throughout the week. Choirs and singing groups nationwide have been asked to sing this year’s song – the iconic Solid Rock by Goanna’s Shane Howard.
This year’s theme artwork is symbolic of the intention of the week: created by Kalkadoon woman Bree Buttenshaw, native plants (known for regenerating after fire and thriving through adversity) symbolise collective strength and the possibilities of renewal.
This is a time for growth, reflection, and commitment to walking together.
What is the relationship between National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week?
They complement each other: an apology opens the way for building something better, just as we are taught when we are children.
Sorry Day kicks off Reconciliation Week – replicating the sequence in everyday relationships, where you apologise for causing hurt and harm, and then move forward together.
How do we move forward while honouring the past?
Certainly, an apology should be felt, so Sorry Day should involve understanding what happened and feeling regret that those events occurred, even if we did not perpetrate them.
And then there should be an appetite for moving on and looking forward together with a united vision for something better in the future.
What is the difference between NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week?
NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week are separate but related commemorations.
NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee) Week celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, focusing on Indigenous pride and identity.
Reconciliation Week focuses on reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, with the aim of healing historical wounds and promote understanding and respect.
What now?
National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week are not about making anyone feel personally guilty or responsible, or putting blame on people who are here now.
But like all nations, we must learn about and accept the facts of our collective history and acknowledge that the ripple effects of yesterday run into today.
Saying sorry and wanting to reconcile doesn’t erase what happened, but it does acknowledge a wrong and aim to build a right.
National Sorry Day was about having empathy, even for people we have not personally harmed. After all, we feel for farmers struggling in drought, and soldiers traumatised by war, even if we played no part in those tragedies.
Acknowledging that people in the oldest living culture on the planet suffered at the hands of official policy and national laws and that we want to learn from that and move forward together is surely a mature, noble aim for any nation.
It might be a sometimes-uncomfortable process for those of us who are not Indigenous, but as is the case so often, the only way up is through.
Dr Jane Stephens coordinates the journalism programme at UniSC. She is a lecturer, teacher, columnist, feature writer and media commentator. This article was written in consultation with Buranga Centre staff.
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