Do you know the true history of this country we call Australia?
Chances are you learned about Captain Cook and the First Fleet in school. The dark side of our history has generally been omitted in institutes of education.
But it’s important for us, as individuals and as a society, to know the truth.
Only by respecting the whole truth of our shared history – the invasion, dehumanisation, colonial violence, and genocide of First Nations Peoples – can we move towards a more healing future for us all.
Acknowledging these truths also acknowledges the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and cultures.
These are the painful and shameful parts of our history. These are the hard yarns.
Truth-telling with Aunty Deb
For the next few months, RAQ will be sharing some of the truths of our shared history, as well as the ongoing systemic racism in our society, to our Facebook page.
We’ll be working closely with Aunty Debra Bennet, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Engagement and Cultural Advisor, to honour First Nations Peoples’ truths and encourage important – and sometimes difficult – conversations.
RAQ acknowledges the generosity, resilience and strength of Aunty Deb as well as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Traditional Owners, Elders, leaders, and families who share their stories, strengths, realities and hopes.
We stand in solidarity with First Nations Peoples in calling for the truth-telling of previously untold and unrecognised parts of our history. We join them in seeking peaceful resolution to address racism and the social and structural imbalance of the system that they have inherited through colonisation.
Through our hard yarns, we invite you on a journey to learn, to challenge your previous beliefs, and to consciously ‘unlearn’ the inherent racism we see all too often.
Reconciliation Australia explains more about the importance of truth-telling here.