Students and teachers from schools across Mount Alexander Shire came together at Castlemaine’s Western Reserve on Friday, to offer heartfelt words of apology to our First Nations people, ahead of the national day of healing on Sunday.
It was an emotional morning as student leaders from six local schools spoke, with the innocence and sincerity that is reserved for the young, about the atrocities that our First Nations people have endured.
Freda, a young primary school girl, spoke with confidence and compassion about the importance of recognising Aboriginal history and suffering.
“I say sorry. I say sorry to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who had to suffer. I acknowledge that many wrongs have been done and many hearts have been broken. I will never truly be able to imagine the full truth what it felt like, but I say sorry.
Some people may ask, why apologise? You didn’t take the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. Because saying sorry is not just about the actions that you take.
It’s also about recognising that something terrible has happened, feeling sadness, feeling empathy, feeling pain and then nobody can forget this horror. We have to remember and that’s why I stand here today on Djarra Country and I say sorry.”
Dja Dja Wurrung and Bangerang woman Aunty Kerri Douglas performed a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony and facilitated questions with three First Nations youth, Grace Coff – a young Yorta Yorta woman, Anthony Milne – a Barkindjl man and Chase Norfolk – a Buandig man, about what this year’s reconciliation theme, ‘Now more than ever’, means to them.
“Get involved. Go to things run by Nalderun, Djandaak and Djaara. Now more than ever means it’s time to start taking important action,” Chase said.
“If you see things happening in the community, get behind them. And if you see racism – call it out,” Anthony said.
Grace, who works as a youth mentor at Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation, teared up listening to the children’s reflections.
“That’s actual change – it was so authentic and beautiful,” Grace said.
“Our culture is the oldest living culture on earth and should be celebrated.
“We need people to be curious and we need them to be kind.”
