3 Indigenous Women On The Need For A Treaty

RAE JOHNSTON, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDITOR AT NITV

“When I became a single mum as a teenager, I was told that I was throwing my life away. I was determined to be the best mum I could be and a good role model for my son Seth [now 18]. As part of that, I’ve taught him the importance of protest and questioning authority, as well as our Wiradjuri language, which is something that my grandfather passed on to me. I want my son to know you’ve got to be heard; you’ve got to be loud. I’m a big fan of the phrase, ‘Nothing about us, without us,’ and that’s what constitutional recognition is. It’s about all First Nations people being heard. I hope my son gets to live his adult life in a country where there’s a treaty.”

“I am a Barkindji woman and have been truly privileged to be born and grow up on my ancestral land. My grandmother once said, ‘The past ain’t for livin’ but sure makes for good thinkin’.’ To create change,
we need to start having tougher conversations that incite responsibility and robust, transparent leadership. These conversations start in workplace trainings, in sporting clubs, on coffee breaks. This is the work we do at Source Nation, a consultancy organisation challenging the status quo. We all have the ability to be an advocate and initiate change in our workplace and community, the question comes down to: are you willing to put your hand up and be the voice for the voiceless?”

“As a descendant of the Dunghutti and Anaiwan people, I feel strength in the fact that I have an anchor to the oldest surviving tradition on Earth. We have knowledge about sustainability, about community and about health being a holistic concept. It’s only now that people are starting to look at Indigenous ways of doing things, which do work and have been the key to our survival. And I think that if Australians could come together and recognise First Nations people, it would be a beautiful way to celebrate and embed our knowledge in the decisions we make together, and also the way we tell the story of who we are as a people.”