Three Perspectives on NAIDOC Week Themes
27 Jun 2019
We had the privilege of spending Term Two 2019 with a terrific group of Year 12 students at Alexandria Park Community School, supporting them to write personal responses to the 2019 NAIDOC Week themes of Truth, Voice and Treaty and The Uluru Statement from the Heart. The project was part of a unit of work called We Are Australia, investigating Australian Identity.
What they wrote amazed, impressed and moved us.
Here we share just three of them, by Intan, Reece and Siu, who each bring their own unique perspectives.
By Intan
People talk about heroes all the time. They should look under their noses because the biggest hero is right there in the mirror. It is important to me that the whole country has equal opportunity today and in the future.
Scott Morrison who is our new Prime Minister. His government needs to ensure that everyone in this rich country has equal opportunity to have education, healthcare, employment opportunity, staying under a roof and feel safe etc. Here’s also one thing that we should all work together is to be respectful to one another either your skin colour, race, beliefs, faith, religion, gender etc.
Education is most important as it sets your life style and values for the future. Through obtaining a good education we are interacting with others and learn about their experiences so that we can show respect and learn their values and perspective on life.
By making the informed choices I hope that this helps me in the future.
Having freedom of speech is what I’m doing right now sharing my perspective and opinion in my life experience. Education has given me the skills and knowledge to make fruitful choices. One of those choices can be about my future career. By through education your mind can be opened up to a whole new world of choices, and opportunity.
If I look in the mirror now I can see my future self making use of my education.
By Reece
This is my first memory to do with the torment of our powerlessness. It starts with the sight of the weak being controlled.
When I won the money they asked me what I’d do. I started building what I knew we always needed. I built shelters all across Sydney for the homeless. That would give the people a place to sleep and have a hot meal. As well as having a place to socialise and share their stories. At one of the shelters in Newtown there’s a young boy Adam, who got kicked out of home at 16 and has been homeless for 2 years. He comes to the shelter every Friday and Sunday for free hot food being offered. He stays for a couple of hours socialising, eating but rarely stays for the night. He lives under the old brickworks tower in Sydney Park. He was denied proper housing because he had a criminal record. And had little monetary support from the government. And no-one will hire him because he’s homeless and doesn’t have a clean record. I have offered him a permanent residence at the shelter but he always turn down the my offer saying he doesn’t want to be a hassle and that he appreciates the services that provide and that he is happy that there is a place people with similar circumstances like him to take refuge. In a place independent from the government.
To be continued…
By Siu
What no one understands is for Aboriginal people the ancestral tie between us and the land is the most important part of our culture. It’s important to us as we come from the land and the land takes care of us. Feeding us, materials for shelter and warmth are all reasons as to why we respect and care for our land so much. Mother nature cares for us which is why we offer all we can and in return we maintain it. We belong to the land the land does not belong to us.
When we were invaded by the white fullas they took over and destroyed our land. We had no say on the way they treated us and mother nature. We no longer could look after our land and we were taken away from all we knew. We were treated as animals, not acknowledged as human beings. We were told what we can and can’t do. We were belittled and denigrated as we watched the white man destroy our country.
Although it’s been over 200 years we still seem to be neglected and disrespected but we are on our way to becoming one with the Non-Indigenous Australia, they are slowly starting to acknowledge the horrific events of our ancestors but there is still a long way for all of us to go.
We invite you all to walk with us, learn our history and our journey. Be willing to learn and expand your knowledge of us. We continue to teach our history as its the only way for all of us to overcome the situation and events of our people. Walk with us.