Jodie Campbell

I feel like I have taken an active interest in educating myself. I am aware of the massacres that took place, the wage theft, the removal of children from their families in what is known as the stolen generations. I am aware of people having to hide the true identity because of bounties on their heads and rampant racism. I am aware of the systemic factors that continue to impact first nations people today, that their oppression still persist today. I am aware of the ongoing intergenerational trauma as a result of colonisation.

I am in my 40s and educatoon about First nations people was scarce and even then really contianed to some brief learnings about culture and traditions. We did have a local First Nations man speak at our school on one occassions but again about some general customs. My educational experience was woefully inadequate and it never touched on the lived realities of people and about the negative historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation. I remember vividly learning extensively about the first fleet about any number of white explorers. I remember being taught that Australia was ‘discovered’ in 1788 and I remember all of the activities around the bicentenary in 1988 and the amount of time dedicated in the classroom to associted learnings about the 200 years that Australia has been discovered. I feel deeply saddened by this and I feel the consequences of this have impacted First Nations people negatively.

I would like the truth of Australia’s history to be told and that we are honest about what colonisation is and the impacts of it. I think given that First Nations people inhabited Australia for at least 60,000 mpre focus on that history is required than there is on the history since 1788. I would like the general public to have the opportunity for free or subsidised cultural training. I would like the health system and the carceral/justice system and other systems to understand the impacts of colonisation on First Peoples and make active steps to decolonise the systems. I would like us to celebrate ‘Australia Day’ on an aletrnate date as we have been kindly requested to do. I do not understand the dogged perssistence to celebrate on January 26th when it is a day of mourning and trauma for such an important group of Australians.

I believe what I think as a non-first Nations Person is not necessary relevant. Although I do not wish to place the burden on First Nations people to be the sole providers of solutions, I would like to listen to them and what they feel they need from non-First Nations people and I would like to contribute to that. I do however thinking being witness to the truth and also being allies on that truth telling process is really valuable.

I believe what I think as a non-first Nations Person is not necessary relevant. Although I do not wish to place the burden on First Nations people to be the sole providers of solutions, I would like to listen to them and what they feel they need from non-First Nations people and I would like to contribute to that. I do however thinking being witness to the truth and also being allies on that truth telling process is really valuable.