Commencing May 27 through to June 3 is National Reconciliation Week.
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This year Reconciliation Australia marks 20 years of working together to further the national journey towards a more just, equitable and fully reconciled country.
This includes a greater acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights to land and sea; understanding of the impact of government policies and frontier conflicts; and an embracing of stories of Indigenous success and contribution.
The theme for National Reconciliation Week (NRW) this year is "In this Together" to remind us whether in a crisis or in reconciliation we are truly, all in this together.
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In National Reconciliation Week, the Community Broadcasting Foundation (CBF) is proud to acknowledge our First Nations broadcasters, stations and First Nations Media Australia, who tell the stories of Australia in language and on country.
This year's Reconciliation Australia theme #InThisTogether, asks all of us to acknowledge the lands that we live and work on - which has resonated strongly with the Community Broadcasting Foundation and president, Ian Hamm.
Ian is first and foremost a Yorta Yorta man and this week, marking National Sorry Day on May 26 to acknowledge the injustice experienced by members of the Stolen Generation - is particularly profound. Ian is a stolen child.
In Ian's words: "The Community Broadcasting Foundation is an important partner in National Reconciliation Week. It's an important week and an important day for all of us to share who we are, what we're about and how we can make a greater future together."
2020 also marks the 20th anniversary of the reconciliation walks of 2000, when people came together to walk on bridges and roads across the nation to show their support for a more reconciled Australia.
In Sydney approximately 300,000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of NRW, to show their support for reconciliation
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
The dates for NRW remain the same each year; May 27 to June 3.
These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey- the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World's Indigenous Peoples) and was supported by Australia's major faith communities.
In 1996, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation launched Australia's first NRW in 2000, Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership on reconciliation.
Reconciliation is a journey and must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation.
In playing our part and at the heart of this journey, we can respectfully and collectively build values and relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
We must strive towards a more just, equitable nation by championing unity and mutual respect as we come together and connect with one another.
On this journey, Australians are all In This Together.
Today, NRW is celebrated by businesses, schools and early learning services, organisations, and individuals Australia-wide. Hundreds of NRW events are held each year.
Council provides a number of initiatives to promote and celebrate Aboriginal culture within the Wingecarribee Shire.
Bowral's history extends back for approximately 200 years. During the pre-colonial era, the land was home to an Aboriginal tribe known as Tharawal.
The Gundungurra indigenous people traditional lands include present day Goulburn and the Southern Highlands.
Council's Aboriginal Community Development Officer (ACDO), Melissa Wiya, is located in the Community Services section.
Melissa wrote on May 27, "Today marks the start of National Reconciliation Week. Council acknowledges the Gundungurra and Tharawal people as the Traditional Custodians of this land (we now call Wingecarribee Shire) and we pay our respects to Elders both past and present. We also acknowledge their spiritual connection to both land and sea. The Elders before us walked the land and left their spiritual footprints for us to follow and learn. We have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation and it's up to us to continue to protect this beautiful land for our ancestors and for future generations."
The Aboriginal Community Development Officer's role is a vital link between the Aboriginal community of the Wingecarribee and Council.
The ACDO role involves promoting council's facilities and services to community and providing advice to council of the issues and needs of Aboriginal communities.
Melissa can be contacted on 4868 0856.
You can source more information on the history of the Southern Highlands from the archives of Berrima District Historical & Family History Society, Bowral Road, Mittagong. Their Web address is berrimadistricthistoricalsociety.org.au
