The National Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples, which took place 17 years ago, enacted respect, concern for truth and the desire for reconciliation. In light of the harsh climate of discontent following the Voice to Parliament Referendum, it is both bracing and consoling to revisit the Apology, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Since the Referendum on the Voice to Parliament, the attitude of many non-Indigenous Australians to Indigenous Australians has been sullen and self-preoccupied. Some, including politicians, resist any reference to past wrongs and to the need for reconciliation. The Apology whose anniversary we celebrate, embodied a more generous spirit. It looked honestly at the past, apologised for wrongs done, and example of acknowledged future unfinished business.
In the Apology the Australian Government spoke on behalf of all Australians in recognising that Australia had acted wrongly in removing Indigenous children from their parents. The removal was based in a lack of respect for the humanity of Indigenous Australians. It defined them by their supposed inferior race and not by their equal humanity. Disrespect blighted the lives of the children affected, their families and their descendants. This disrespect reflected the experience of many Indigenous Australians after settlement – an experience of invasion, massacre, displacement, expulsion from land and alienation from culture, violation of sacred places, the snatching of children, discrimination enshrined in law and in custom, racism and condescension within Australian life, and imposed marginalisation.
The Apology enacted respect, concern for truth and the desire for reconciliation. It was not a political debate about Indigenous issues but a conversation between representatives of the Australian nation and Indigenous representatives. The Prime Minister made the Apology in person to representatives of the Stolen Generations, insisting that all Australians are equally entitled to respect, and that the Government is responsible to ensure that all Australians are treated fairly. Indigenous representatives accepted the Apology.
The Apology also recognised that Indigenous Australians have a special place in Australia as the first peoples. It calls on us to together to find ways to enshrine this place in our institutions. For us at Jesuit social Services, who are privileged to work in our programs with and for Indigenous Australians, this call is personal.
In the harsh climate of self-preoccupation and discontent following the loss of the Referendum on the Voice to Parliament, it is both bracing and consoling to revisit the Apology. As we reflect on it, we should also revisit the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It breathes the same spirit, reflecting the generosity of the Apology and the need for reconciliation. Together they point to the way forward, especially in ungenerous times.
