Referendum working group members return to Uluru

Joseph Guenzler
Joseph Guenzler Published May 26, 2023 at 12.15pm (AWST)

Gathered at Uluru six years ago, over 250 delegates representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities convened from various southern regions.

In the Uluru statement from the Heart, released on May 26th, 2017, the Indigenous people extended an invitation to Australians, urging them to join in forging a brighter future together.

This Friday, the members of the referendum working group revisit Uluru, taking a moment to reflect as they approach, the upcoming national poll and commemorate the anniversary of the Statement from the Heart.

Professor Megan Davis, co-chair of the Uluru dialogues, expressed the deep emotions evoked upon returning to Anangu country. She emphasized the importance of remembering that the Statement serves as an invitation to all people of this nation.

"We want people to read the statement out loud, and especially read it with or to people who haven't read it before," she said.

"I think we've come through a difficult period.

"Part of the nature of pedestrian conventional Australian politics is that Aboriginal issues are like a political football game with no rules.

"And so we've come out the back end of a very highly technical, highly legal debate and discussion, which needed to be had, but now we're able to say, 'Hey, let's have a reflection on what this is all about."

Professor Davis said the Uluru Statement from the Heart was the culmination of the most significant discussions about constitutional recognition ever undertaken with First Nations people across Australia.

"It is an invitation to all Australians to recognise the dire need for change to the status quo for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to take a step that will make a difference to the lives of First Nations Peoples," she said.

"The Statement is a powerful invitation to look towards a brighter future – one that provides the best chance to close the gap and allow Australians to walk forward together as a nation with our heads held high."

Prof Davis said it was an emotional day for many who had been part of the process for years.

"But I am as confident today as I was when I read the Statement at Uluru in 2017, that the Australian people will embrace its sentiment and support the overwhelming majority of First Nations Peoples who simply want to have a say over the decisions that impact our lives."

Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, who was also at Uluru for the meeting, said she was not concerned about opinion polling on the voice, saying there was growing support for the 'yes' vote.

"The momentum is just enormous. I feel buoyed, I feel confident and I know that we've got six or so months to run, and I am sure the Australian people will rise to this occasion," she told ABC Radio on Friday.

As Canberra politicians debated the referendum question, the working group met at Uluru. Prof Davis discussed the final part of the Uluru Statement, focusing on embarking on a transformative journey across the country.

Uluru Dialogue co-chair Pat Anderson said the anniversary presented a time to acknowledge the work of those who engaged in the grassroots process through the regional dialogues, and paved the way for reform.

"The words of the Uluru Statement are still felt deeply by First Peoples," she said.

"We heard their calls for a better future then and we hear them now.

"This must be the year that Australia makes the words of the Statement a reality and end the torment of our powerlessness.

"Our people can't wait any longer."

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National Indigenous Times

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