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Annaliesa: Good morning to all and welcome to Monday morning live. I hope everyone has had a great weekend. Today I Annaliesa Wutzke introduce a special guest Brittany Smith to discuss today's topic on Indigenous Australians and European reconciliation. Now Brittany how are you?
Brittany: good thank's how are you?
Annaliesa: well thank you, So, as the topic is reconciliation for our indigenous people, let’s start by clarifying the term reconciliation?
WHAT DOES THE TERM "RECONCILIATION" GENERALLY MEAN?
Brittany: Reconciliation literally means coming together. The coming together and building bridges of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians. Reconciliation is about respect, understanding and accepting the differences of language, culture and of law. Reconciliation is saying sorry and realising what we have done wrong. Apologising and accepting one another to come together as one.
What groups in Australia promote reconciliation?
Annaliesa: Well Brittany, there are many groups in Australia believe it or not that are trying their best to promote reconciliation in Australia. I'll name some off the top of my head, so the main ones I know of are the R.A.P. program (Reconciliation Action Plans), the Australian human rights commission, Uluru kata Tjuta National Park group and also Kevin Rudds party whom are the ones who made the sorry speech in 2008.
The R.A.P. program develops business plans that document what they will do within their sphere of influence to contribute to reconciliation in Australia.
Australian human rights commission promote Social justice and human rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Uluru Kata Tjuta national park is a world heritage area jointly managed by traditional owners and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. So they try and protect the original animals of this land.
And the Kevin Rudd speech in 2008 was a great way to progress towards reconciliation in Australia
WHAT FACTORS OFTEN HINDER (MAKE DIFFICULT) A PROCESS OF RECONCILIATION?
Brittany:To close the gap we need to understand the differences and support reconciliation to overcome the reasons as to why there is division and inequality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Reconciliation is about improving the relationships and to do so we must first become less prejudice and understand our history.
The process of reconciliation is hindered by factors such as racism, prejudice, anger, inequality in wealth and health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Commitment and forgiveness from both parties is required to achieve reconciliation.
Being prejudice interferes with the process of reconciliation, as having a judgement or an already set opinion towards someone or something is a barrier to overcome in the act of coming together.
Racism similarly hinders reconciliation because the way people look, their culture and beliefs largely determine how they are portrayed, how they 'fit in' and how people want to be associated with them. Judging them based on skin and the way they live will slow the process, as we need to first push aside that racism towards them and learn to work with them and close the gap.
Such a wide gap between the health and the earnings of the indigenous and non indigenous Australians is going to slow the process. Aborigines socio-economic position is quite poor and needs to be changed to improve this process.
What factors have hindered/ are hindering reconciliation in the context of Europeans/ indigenous relationships in this country?
Annaliesa: Well "when compared with other reconciliation processes, Australian reconciliation and its acts of official remembrance have received relatively little academic attention, and yet the case rises many important questions for settler societies struggling to come to terms with past misdeeds and the burden of the past in the present." So the past is the main reason that I think that the relationships between the indigenous and Europeans is still trying to become a treaty.
So that's what I believe is hindering the relationships between the European and indigenous relationships.
Brittany: Should reconciliation benefit both/all parties equally?
Annaliesa: I believe that it should in this case benefit more so the aborigines then the white Australians because we are the ones who took their land at first so it would only be fair if it benefitted the aboriginals more.
WHAT PROPORTION OF CHRISTIAN/CATHOLICS IN AUSTRALIA HAVE ABORIGINAL HERITAGE?
Brittany: According to the 2011 census there were approximately 13 000 000 Australians who considered themselves Christian. In 2006, 73% of the Indigenous population reported an affiliation with a Christian denomination. Assuming that this percentage of Aboriginal Christians hasn't varied too much from 2006 - 2011, 3% of Christians are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
What Christian understandings of forgiveness and reconciliation are based on the actions and teachings of Jesus?
Annaliesa: So to understand the Christian beliefs and understandings of reconciliation we went to the bible, although there are many passages and scriptures on forgiveness and reconciliation this passage stood out to me.
Romans 11:15
For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
In this scripture I get the message that if the indigenous Australians brought reconciliation by rejection then what will they be accepted for but life and death. This is a scripture passage that I believe to be meant at another culture but it also suits the indigenous Australians.
When one sees reconciliation as a goal to be achieved, there will be differing opinions as to what conditions need to be met in order to achieve it. Consequently, a Christian approach will have to be situated among a number of others.
And this is the Christian understanding of reconciliation so it is say that to seek reconciliation it needs to be confirmed by more than one authority.
HOW COMPATIBLE ARE TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL BELIEFS AND CHRISTIAN BELIEFS?
Brittany: Some believe that it is compatible and their valuing of family, land, culture and religion links to ours of the 10 commandments. However, some also argue to differ as Christians believe in one God and Jesus our saviour, as on the other hand Aborigines believe in many spirits. Although there are many differences between the two, there are also many similarities, and therefore can be seen as compatible.
To what extent can indigenous Australians maintain traditional customs and beliefs while seeking reconciliation?
Annaliesa: So, we all know how important land and spirituality is to our Indigenous, well why should we take away their belief system? How would you like it if someone just came and took you away from you religion?
Brittany: I think I would be pretty upset because that is how I have been brought up on my religion.
Annaliesa: Well according to the land law rights:
Different types of land rights laws exist in Australia, allowing for the renewed ownership of land to Aboriginals [Indigenous Australians] under various conditions. Land rights schemes are in place in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania.
Some white Australians believe that aboriginals should live in their culture and some believe different but there are many obstacles because the government will not allow all aboriginals to live in that way. They don't allow it because they still think they take superior to everyone else.
What do you think bout this brittany
Brittany: In order for there to be reconciliation, Indigenous people need to compromise when it comes to land ownership, the non Indigenous Australians won't want to give up their land just because the aborigines were the original owners.
The Indigenous Australians will want to be recognised as the original owners and custodians of this land and that the sacred sites be recognised as so.
Brittany:
Well that was a good conversation and I would love to stay a bit longer but sadly I have to go and do another talk show, so thank you to everyone who was listening. If you have any opinions and you would like to share it call up and share it with the listeners. Thank you again and I would love to come again. Bye.
Annaliesa: bye