"It is customary to acknowledge country and I do so by paying our respects to elders past and present and acknowledge all people who have made Australia this great country we live in"
These are the words written and spoken at the beginning of Councils main meeting "the Ordinary meeting of Council".
This Council has been sitting now for six months and I have become increasingly bothered by this so called acknowledgement- I find it offensive.
I've worked with Council's Aboriginal Advisory Group over the last four years and believed that Council was really working in a spirit of reconciliation and with a view of improving its relationship with our Aboriginal people.
Council in the last four years introduced the Acknowledgement, Raised the Aboriginal flag in the chamber and on Councils flagpoles and importantly signed a memorandum of understanding in respect to employment and relationship obligations that the city has.
I understand that there are varying views on things like Acknowledging Aboriginal people and when I had this conversation with a local Elder, her wise words were to 'speak from the heart- Aboriginal people don't want you to say hollow words but ones with meaning'. I have always done that and perhaps that's why I find the current acknowledgement a bit off.
For the current acknowledgement doesn't even have the words Aboriginal People in it. It premises the statement with "it is customary' well no its not- some places still refuse to acknowledge Aboriginal People. There is no welcome to Aboriginal people who may be attending the meeting. I think the acknowledgement is trite and shows no personality, and no real acknowledgement of the suffering that Australia's first people have endured
In my question on notice to the General manager in the business paper for 23 April- you can see that the Mayor has made no effort to consult with Shoalhaven's Aboriginal community ( via the Aboriginal Advisory Committee or any other source) to formulate what has essentially now become Councils Acknowledgement- poor form indeed.
2 comments:
This is such a derogatory comment to make. Kiama Council begins its meetings with “We acknowledge, pay respect to and thank the traditional, historical and current custodians of the land on which this meeting is being held."
This is also a bit muddled but does attempt to acknowledge and respect ...
I believe that when these things are said at a meeting there should be a short period of reflection on whet the words mean. Too often they are just spoken and then forgotten as the business of the meeting is begun.
The need to reflect is as important as the words. In opening the recent CSG meeting in Gerringong I made the following statement:
"I would like to first of all acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which this meeting is being held and pay our respects to elders past and present.
An acknowledgement of traditional custodians resonates at a meeting about the impacts of CSG mining. In acknowledging traditional custodians we are recognising and embracing their respect for the land that was inherently based on sustainability of the resources that supported their continuing existence on that land. This broad community campaign is all about our current custodianship of land, of fundamental resources such as water and food production. It is about sustainable communities and the sustainability of our quality of life."
We must get the words correct and then demonstrate that we believe what we acknowledge.
'Acknowledgement of Country' is not something that the Mayor is entitled to play with at her whim. There are clear agreed protocols for local,state and federal government that have Aboriginal input that should be respected. That there has been no consultation with Council's own Aboriginal Advisory group who contributed to the Council statement is insulting. In one respect, it is yet another example of the poorest practice in community engagement that the Mayor and the new Council seem to constantly bring to their role. It is playing out her version of Howard's "black arm band" rhetoric. To do so is racist - racist by overt and deliberate omission. It reflects no understanding of reconciliation and the historical experience of Aboriginal people. It is the poorest of standards for this Council and the Shoalhaven. One mayor burns the Aboriginal flag - another rejects the acknowledgement of Aboriginal people. Time to change the latest practice!
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