all that hard work we had done we just got told it was a no us First Nations people should have had a voice by now although we have a long way to go I feel like we've still came a long way like it should have been yes cuz and that could have been real change I think it's like the one the one country that.
Hasn't like have their Community have a say that with their own Parliament mobs didn't even choose to V yes or no even some mobs in South Australia I know um out country ways that they none of them voted cuz they didn't get told about it I heard a lot of my friends say that if we vote for yes they're not going to help the Aboriginal people but.
None of my friends that were saying that were Aboriginal like as Aboriginal we didn't actually have a say in it they had to say they chose our decisions for us people were more educated about Aboriginal life and how it has been for the past you know 250 years this is what Unity looks like this is what Australia looks like it's so divisive it is so Us.
And Them The Voice referendum that was held in October last year was pretty simply about uh whether Australians wanted in their constitution a recognition of abigal tourist R Islander people as the original inhabitants of this country and doing that by creating an advisory body that would be able to give advice to government and P will not.
Allow for the Prime Minister and this referendum to divide our country along the lines of race within our constitution you know I'm certainly not speaking on behalf of all Aboriginal tourist is of people and there was a lot of diversity in what First Nations people believed about the referendum prove it how is this voice going to do.
All this stuff I think that majority of Australia definitely knows that Australia does have a pretty dark past but I think some Australians are quite oblivious just how dark it really was thing that I saw whilst the referendum was still happening was the yes vote posters being ripped down and like being spray pain on.
Saying no it just didn't feel like right for someone to do that I think a lot of people realize that Australia isn't like I guess like a perfect country and it's like a lot of racism that goes on you know I have really close friends that had that their families had opinions but I became almost victim to their opinion because of me being Aboriginal for.
People to say oh I'm glad they don't have a voice in Parliament in a country that we were in first it's like it just feels horrible it was a very scary time cuz people weren't really holding back on their opinions which I really didn't expect we I read that 108% increase in First Nations callers reporting abuse racism.
And Trauma between March and June last year compared to the year before and that was through 13 yarm helpline The Voice debate was so nasty and it almost gave permission to be for people to be openly racist no doubt it's a it is a difficult time for Aboriginal T stra Islander people in Australia and also the reconciliation process yeah I know.
Quite a few Aboriginal and T straight Islander people who felt quite hurt and disappointed with the no vote and then quite understandably I taken it personally as a rejection of who we are and our culture but I think a lot of people recognize that um the process of reconciliation the idea of progress in AB Affairs isn't a straight line you it.
Sort of takes deviations to the side and steps backwards sometimes even if the referendum said no people are they're still fighting for it and it's good because I love to see it it's really it's beautiful I think that we should just keep on moving forward and wait till the next referendum to try to change this our decision well the.
Sk's failed uh over here you can see the states every state has voted no I'm still pleased with the outcome uh I feel like there is um a sense in the country that people want to get on with uh practical ways forward this wasn't really a vote against Aboriginal people against abigal culture was you if more than anything a reluctance to change our.
Constitution we just don't do that in Australia very often it's now up to all of us to come together and find a different way to the same reconciled destination the referendum might have been voted no but we still are the First Peoples of Australia and the oldest culture in the world like what an amazing thing to actually be a part of.
As a shared history so I think that the negative feelings that I have are starting to move into more feelings of Hope because I do see the allyship of the people who voted yes 6.2 million people voted yes 60,000 people were out campaigning for yes and First Nations peoples are are still asking the rest of Australia to continue to stand up so.
That they can be countered I believe there's not really one answer to reconciliation but I think overall there's there's just going to be a lot of action taking place in all areas that means schools that means government that means Sao that means um juvenile detention centers that means everywhere and if there's action taking.
Place everywhere then all areas that need to be fixed can be fixed we do need to reconcile cuz I am not Aboriginal at all any% so obviously I don't share the same like experiences as Shah but I still I still agree with everything she said we still really haven't apologized reconciled with them I'm very optimistic about it because I.
Think we've got like a great set of leaders like in Australia state governments and territory governments across Australia and the federal government are doing a whole lot of things in different ways in terms of reconciliation some of that's the symbolic recognition yeah many States including South Australia recognize in.
Our state constitutions AB original on the people as the original inhabitants through to some of the really practical things that all governments are doing in terms of closing the Gap we legislated for a voice to our Parliament um a bit over a year ago and just in March of this year we had the first ever elections for our South Australian First.
Nations voice to Parliament uh Victoria have a first people's assembly who've had two elections already that are a traing negotiating body in Victoria so different states and territories are moving you in in different ways to make sure we're doing what we can in reconciliation but really importantly giving aigal people more of a saying the.
Decisions that affect their lives but yeah there is still a long way to go I think some of the next challenges are recognizing what's happened in the past and how that shapes where we are today the reason why we have a Reconciliation week is to celebrate the abigal culture and many other cultures to come together and like recognize the.
Abigal people as the first nations of Australia I can teach my language towards others and also like telling them about about the animals on the land and all this so like that's something that I really love about um reconcilation week in a school like ours you know we have a barbecue and everything you know they might even have.
Like a little section where they play their own music do a little dance for their culture this year's theme is now more than ever and now more than ever we need to continue the work of reconciliation learning about reconciliation is a great start I guess having conversations with people when when you hear um someone have a.
Conversation that isn't a truthful perspective of of the histories mention it call out racism if you feel safe to do so be more active in promoting and valuing Aboriginal and tarist St Islander cultures and peoples there are many community events hundreds of theocc right around Australia are during reconciliation week so get involved in.
Local events and in schools one of the things that I've seen changed so dramatically is the teaching and understanding of aigal History culture and language within schools so when uh yeah when that's being taught in schools really really grab that opportunity with both hands yeah ask further questions learn more yeah really get into learning.
Your the local average and language for the future I'm really excited to see what's to come now that there are a lot more like non-indigenous Australians who are really like getting around us the next referendum I hope it's a yes so then finally us mob can finally have a voice if we have more culture into our learning instead of just implementing.
What's new what's present we could turn the stuff from from the past into the future for the next Generations I believe Australia is starting to accept us as the first nation people but there is still racism happening in Australia at the moment but when that's all gone I believe we can all come together and connect as one and like we can just.
Teach them our culture and they can teach us many things as well and um yeah I hope that happens yeah
