The following short text was sent to a friend of mine, but, thanks to my dear wife's pushing and encouraging, I have decided to share it here, and therefore adapt the words. With big thanks and appreciation to Jenna, my wife, and to Richelle, a dear friend and soul sister...
Context: In this text, I'll talk about the recent referendum down in Australia, which was, in short, taken to decide whether or not the Australian people approved of an alteration to the Australian Constitution that would recognise Indigenous Australians, as well as Torres Strait Islanders, and therefore include them in matters of national and tribal importance.
There are plenty who’ve obviously taken this vote and referendum to heart , but the result has proven to be seriously disappointing for many. Like my friend Richelle who has spent time with First Nations Australians, she's seen at first hand the issues they face on a daily basis. She has seen how aboriginal people remain at a disadvantage compared to the average white Australian. In short, she knows their plight all too well.
My message, though, is this: don’t give up your hope; have faith. Australia as a country is awakening, slowly but surely, you’ve seen the seeds of hope, haven't you? There’s a lot of trauma within the national consciousness and identity, a trauma that is embedded in the Australian psyche. It was always going to be hard to face such awful truths about things like The Stolen Generations, the removal of inborn people from their ancestral lands, the loss of culture and languages, the forced and failed assimilation into mainstream white culture of Aboriginal people. Look at the US: what representation do the First Nations have there? What about Canada? Look at New Zealand/Aotearoa: a former British colony that seemingly embraces its indigenous Māori culture, but has it done so without bloodshed, suffering, or anguish in the ensuing years? It has not, but NZ has made great strides in embracing its indigenous roots, and thus seems to now have created a harmonious culture in which all those born there can embrace being a New Zealander, regardless of ethnicity. You have to break a few eggs in order to make the omelette, after all.
I then went on to my friend: "Hold peace in your heart, for you are already a flag-bearer for First Nations’ rights, culture, and indeed representation. Sometimes you have to lose in order to gain. Time is an odd concept: where will the aboriginal Australians be in 30/40 years’ time? Think back to how things were 30/40 years ago… You still get people abusing aboriginal players at the AFL (Australian Football League, one of the most popular spectator sports in Australia), but it’s changing now, it’s socially unacceptable. You and I both know it’s an utter disgrace, but people are often reluctant to have a mirror shoved in their faces, and be told that their very way of being needs to change. Most will and have tended to reject it out of hand. But there are those, like you, that want to push this change in Oz, those that want to heal the wounds of the past in order to grow together as one, for a better future for the children of tomorrow’s Australia."
I also wanted to give some perspective on the Australian First Nations situation by comparing to another situation in another former outpost of the British Empire: "Have a look at South Africa, for example: most Saffas I’ve met on my travels are the children of the racist generations that lived through apartheid, from 'both sides' of the divide; most young South Africans nowadays are not racist, and are proud of the diversity in their country, in my experience."
Note: I'd like to clarify that my thoughts and views have been formed by listening to many South Africans I've met, as well as Australians and others; I don't claim to be any kind of expert, but I like to form opinions based on what I hear, what I see, and what I feel. That also doesn't mean that my opinions and thought patterns can't be changed if I were to glean more information on such subjects.
Let's remember that Australia has Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock, the colonial name it was given), which is the Solar Plexus chakra of the earth; it has a fundamentally important role to play, not just in Australia, but around the world.
After all, consciousness is rising all over the world, even if we cannot see it or feel it in an obvious way. Keep the faith…fight the battles, the battles for peace and rights, it’s not over. It’s just part of the journey, my journey, your journey, OUR journey. DC x
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