Reconciliation in Australia
The first act of reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous people followed Lieutenant James Cook's 1770 landing at the site of modern Cooktown.
A Guugu Yimithirr elder stepped in, presenting Cook with a broken-tipped spear as a peace offering, thus preventing an escalation which could have ended in bloodshed.
His speech launching Labor's campaign explained what the concept might mean for Australia:[4]Another area of unresolved conflict involves the Aboriginal people of this country – the first Australians.
[6] At the time, there was some criticism of the term and concept as a "politically soft option", a replacement for pursuing more concrete aims for justice for Indigenous peoples, such as land rights and a treaty.
Practical matters include improving health, education and employment prospects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
[9] The establishment of the council was an acknowledgement of past policies which had done harm to Aboriginal peoples,[7] and its purpose was to guide the process of reconciliation in the nation over the coming decade, which would end with the celebration of centenary since the Federation of Australia.
[14] In 1999, federal parliament passed a Motion of Reconciliation, as negotiated by Senator Aden Ridgeway and then prime minister John Howard, but it fell short of an apology and opinions on its effectiveness were divided.
[15] "Corroboree 2000" was a two-day event at the Sydney Opera House held in CAR's final year of existence, taking place from 27 to 28 May 2000.
On the first day, a meeting of dozens of Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders at the Sydney Opera House[10] was again broadcast live on TV, and was covered by around 500 media outlets.
[10] The two documents laid out four strategies, relating to economic independence for Indigenous peoples; overcoming disadvantage; the recognition of rights; and continuing the reconciliation process.
[20] At the end of the year, the Melbourne event drew 300,000 and in Perth huge crowds crossed the Swan River Causeway.
[3] It is an independent NGO, mostly funded by the federal government through the National Indigenous Australians Agency, with a large contribution from the BHP Foundation.
The dual target of rights and practical measures is a message aimed not only at governments but also the corporate sector and all kinds of institutions, as well as ordinary members of the public.
The interpretation of the concept continues to be debated, as well as its usefulness in making real improvements to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
