Opinion by Dr Jill Gallagher AO
For far too long, my people have been told to “get over it,” to “move on,” and to “let the past be the past.” But for the First Peoples of this country, the past is not something we can simply sweep under the rug, because it lives with us, it is in our families, our Communities and in our continued fight for justice.
In a media interview last week, I was talking about the importance of having an ongoing truth-telling body in Victoria, so that we can ensure our people can continue to speak their truths. The broadcaster interrupted me and said, “But that is in the past, how far back do we have to go?”.
And it is questions like that which stokes the fire in my belly and motivates me to continue fighting for the truth – not just for our ancestors and Elders, but for our future generations.
If Australia is to be a nation that truly respects and values Aboriginal people, then treaty and truth-telling must be at the heart of that future.
I have been asked a lot lately about why truth-telling matters. Truth telling matters because you can’t heal what has not been acknowledged. Our children and grandchildren deserve to grow up in a country that doesn’t deny or twist the history of a brutal colonisation.
They deserve to know their ancestors weren’t passive victims, but they were proud warriors, carers, teachers and leaders.
They deserve to understand that the inequalities they witness today aren’t the fault of those that came before them, but the outcomes of systems built on genocide, dispossession, racism, and exclusion.
By telling the truth about this country’s history, we give our young people the power of pride in order to challenge the toxic narrative that has been painted about our people being a problem to be fixed, rather than a 65,000-year-old culture that should be acknowledged, respected and celebrated.
Truth-telling is not about making people feel bad about the atrocities that have taken place on this soil.; it is about clarity. And clarity is what paves the way for justice.
It’s important that we acknowledge the true history of this country so that we as whole Australian society don’t make the same mistakes again.
We need to ensure nobody is forced to endure the pain that my Mum, my ancestors and countless Aboriginal people have had to endure.
The Yoorook Justice Commissions final report and recommendations were released last week, and I hope we are finally on the path to reckoning with those truths.
But truth alone is not enough. It must be followed by treaty.
And let me get one thing straight. Treaty is not a handout. It is recognition that Aboriginal peoples never ceded sovereignty, and that we have the right to determine our own futures.
For generations, we’ve seen policies made about us and without us. Treaty will shift that dynamic by finally giving Aboriginal people a seat at the table.
Just imagine what that could mean for the next generations.
It could mean a future where they are seated at the table and involved in the decisions and policies that affect them, because they are the ones that know what is best for their people.
It could mean policy decisions that secure proper funding for Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations that we know deliver better outcomes for our Mob.
It could mean embedding our cultural knowledge into our education systems and into the fabric of this nation.
Treaty is an opportunity for us all to walk together. Treaty would tell our emerging leaders that your identity is not just valid, it is essential to the future of this country.
We know that these changes won’t come easily, but if we do nothing, we will only continue the cycle of marginalisation, disadvantage and hurt.
If we want our young people to thrive and not simply survive, then we must be bold enough to create the foundations for their success. That begins with truth-telling, and it continues with treaty.
Australia has a choice to make. It can continue to bury its head in the sand, or it can face its past with courage and walk forward into a more honest and respectful future.
A future where all Aboriginal people have the same outcomes in education, the same chances of getting a job, the same dream of buying a home and the same dream of living to old age.
Truth-telling and treaty can make fairness and equality a reality for all Australians.
Dr. Jill Gallagher AO is the CEO of VACCHO
