National Reconciliation Week 2012: recognition for First Nations heritage

The week from Friday May 25 to Sunday June 3 is National Reconciliation Week, a time to honour Australia’s First Nations heritage.

Each year, the reconciliation events provide an insight into the First Nations culture in song, dance, and art as a way of reconciling differences, and supporting the rights of Torres Strait Islander peoples as the true owners of their land.

This year, under the banner “Let’s Talk Recognition”, events in Canberra will include the Winnunga National Sorry Day Bridge Walk, an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, art at the National Gallery of Australia, National Indigenous Youth Parliament, tours at the National Library, science events at Questacon, a forum on Eddie Mabo, theatre shows, exhibits at the National Film and Sound Archive, exhibitions and tours at the Australian War Memorial, public talks, and sporting events. These complement public education campaigns and the You Me Unity campaign.

This year also marks the 50^th Anniversary of the 'Indigenous Vote' (1962-2012) and the 20^th Anniversary of the Mabo Decision for land rights.

To honour the 50^th Anniversary of the 'Indigenous Vote' fifty young First Nations people between the ages of 16 and 25 will gather in the nation’s capital, Canberra, in May to take part in the first ever National Indigenous Youth Parliament. The Australian Electoral Commission is hosting the parliament. They will debate bills in the chambers of the Old Parliament House and present their views to government. They have already met to draft the bill they will debate in the mock parliament. The topics selected range from compulsory vaccinations for children, to housing standards in remote communities.

www.reconciliation.org

MARTINA NICOLLS

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MARTINA NICOLLS is an international human rights-based consultant in education, healing and wellbeing, peace and stabilization, foreign aid audits and evaluations, and the author of: The Paris Residences of James Joyce (2020), Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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