2035

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Submissions: Your Feedback

Submissions from people and organisations who have agreed to have their feedback published are provided below.

The views expressed in these submissions belong to their authors. The National Indigenous Australians Agency reserved the right not to publish submissions, or parts of submissions, that include, for example, material that is offensive, racist, potentially defamatory, personal information, is a copy of previously provided materials, or does not relate to the consultation process.

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If you require any further assistance please contact Co-designVoice@niaa.gov.au.

 

Submission Number
2035
Participant
Naomi Howard
Submission date

Naomi Howard
Murdunna
Tasmania 7178

Dear Co-Design Body

Submission for Co-design process

I am a senior non-Aboriginal woman living on Pardareme land in southeastern Tasmania. For the past 21 years I've been practising as a full-time visual artist and for my last 40 years, I've been deeply disturbed by the lack of voices and the lack of power Aboriginal people have over how our country operates. I have lived and worked amongst Aboriginal Australians for seven years.

Why do you think the Uluru Statement from the Heart is important?
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is the most beautiful invitation I've ever heard because if white Australia accepts it, then I believe our society will be the better for it. We will at last be able to stand proud as a nation in front of our children and the people of all other nations. We need to openly know and admit to all the cruel and ignorant things that Australian whites have made apon aboriginal culture and peoples and the land we now share. I think an Aboriginal Voice in Parliament is a necessary and vitally important change for the betterment of all citizens.

How could a Voice to Parliament improve the lives of your community?
A Voice to Parliament would improve the lives of my community by constantly offering other ways of seeing the land we live on. A voice to parliament will open minds about how Aboriginal people know best what is good for them, what is good for the country and knowledge about how my community might look after what they have inherited.

Why do you think it's important to enshrine the Voice to Parliament in the Constitution, rather than include it only in legislation?
A Voice to Parliament needs to be an integeral part of our Constitution so that the Voice may change but it will alwqays have the right to speak to us All.

Why is it important for Indigenous people to have a say in the matters that affect them?
When two different cultures such as aboriginal and non aboriginal come together each culture has a great deal to offer the nation. Everybody has a need to have a voice about matters that affect them and all the way from the beginning of colonisation of Australia, the aboriginal voice has been expected to take a secondry position.

Yours sincerely,
Naomi Howard