To Co-Design Body
Co-design process: Submission
I am fortunate to live, love and learn on Menang Noongar Boodja with my two daughters. I am currently about halfway through a degree majoring in Anthropology and Indigenous Studies.
The Uluru Statement is a unique collaborative effort by Indigenous nations to bridge the gulf which exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The history of Australia and the present situation is laid out without blame. Most importantly, the Uluru Statement proposed a self-determined way forward to heal this country.
For far too long, too many Australians have remained unaware of the true history of this vast land. It is well beyond time that we acknowledge and cherish the long history of the people who were here before Europeans arrived. It is also critical that we hear the truth about the often bloody history of colonialism in Australia, and the harm that colonial practises have done and continue to do to Indigenous people.
The Voice to Parliament must be included in the Constitution to hold space for Indigenous people in a way that cannot be diminished by any given government. The right for Indigenous people and Communities to self-determination is enshrined in UN Human Rights charters, and it is important that Australia upholds and respects their sovereignty and agency.
Most importantly, the Uluru Statement proposes a self-determined way forward to heal this country. It is one that does not exclude non-Indigenous people; the Uluru Statement is a generous invitation to work towards a better future for the First and all Australians as we right the past wrongs.
Yours sincerely
