My version of a reconciled Australia
When understanding shadows minds,
When acknowledgment grasps peoples throats Country, the true owners,
When words don’t injure, they bestow, When his story’s now their story, Country, they fought,
When flags sway hand in hand, When dignity is a birthright, Country, their hearts,
Abolished is the restricted service, Abolished is the skin making others nervous, Abolished is the laws defeating purpose, Abolished is the he said she said versus,
Abolished is the bad war crimes and saw crimes that stirs us, Abolished is the no to land fuss and cries of you misunderstand us,
Abolished is the taking kids and saying it’s a joy you can grant us, Abolished is the shield on violence you use to enchant us,
First on the continent, first with the smarts,
First to be denied, first pain in hearts,
First to be given support, getting rid of damaged parts,
First to be seen as a whole, without restarts,
First to be loved and welcomed, by remarks,
First to be apologised, a ceremony with harps,
First to be reasoned with, given fireworks with sparks,
First to be united as a whole, in this country down below
Artist Statement:
My work is a writing piece that demonstrates and opposes the harsh realities that many First Nations Peoples face daily, it also embodies my dream of how a reconciled Australia would look like. In relation to the theme, Learning From Legacy: Healing Our Country, I’ve tried to illustrate my words in a way that expresses a dream many of us hold dear, a reconciled, and free from discrimination, country. Healing our wounds is something I mention throughout my text because I believe we can’t move forward without doing something to heal the pains and suffering First Nations Peoples have been through.
Reconciliation means….
To me reconciliation is to acknowledge that we as a nation have done some dark and horrible things and that we have let some dark and horrible things happen but we need to learn and grow from those mistakes so we can inspire future peace and equality in other generations, and discourage hurtful mistakes made by previous generations.
Artist: Jasmine Taylor
Many of these resources and activities have been developed in consultation with NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to ensure that the program meets NSW curriculum outcomes for Stages 3, 4 & 5.
Reconciliation NSW aims to create a reconciled, just and equitable community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. We work to inform, support and inspire people to engage in reconciliation.
E: schools@reconciliationnsw.org.au
T: 02 8095 9600
Ground Floor 27 Cope St Redfern 2016
