I have been reflecting on the theme for NAIDOC 2021 ‘Heal Country’ and thinking what a task it will be to achieve this, but it is not insurmountable.

It is 100% the right thing to do and with wider community support and good leadership, is certainly possible.

So how are we going to Heal Country, Heal Our Land?

• Gaining a strong commitment from non-Aboriginal Australia for the truth-telling of our history (as this is a path to Reconciliation with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People)
• Through strong leadership for change throughout Australia by all parties (by Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, non-Indigenous people, businesses and governments)
• Having zero tolerance to Racism
• Giving Aboriginal Australia a strong voice in Parliament
• Implementing strong special measures for economic advantage for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people as sovereign owners of this land
• Adopting strong special measures, such as Indigenous Protected Areas to protect Aboriginal land, Aboriginal sacred sites and Aboriginal History and Culture (written on the ground) and making these special places a ‘No Go’ zone for mining, nuclear waste dumps and development
• Making a strong commitment to climate change with leadership, guidance and authority based on the traditional environmental knowledge of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.

For more information about NAIDOC Week, see https://www.naidoc.org.au

If you’d like to share these thoughts with your team and discuss their ideas, click here to download a couple of PowerPoint slides to help you do this.

Sally Marsh
Business Partner, Aboriginal Workforce