STEPS on the reconciliation journey taken at Kerang last week continued at Koondrook and Cohuna on Friday with more community gatherings to mark National Reconciliation Week.
Hundreds of local students joined with other Cohuna district residents at Garden Park on Friday to mark Reconciliation Week and a smaller gathering involving school children at Koondrook marked the end of recognition ceremonies across the Shire of Gannawarra.
Both events on Friday were a collaboration between Gannawarra Shire Council and local Aboriginal Elders, began with a welcome to country performed by Uncle Lloyd Murray and a smoking ceremony by Hack Webster.
The service also included a presentation from Aunty Esther Kirby, who spoke about the significance of the 1967 referendum, which saw Aboriginal people included in the census for the first time, and gave the Federal Government the power to make laws for Indigenous people.
“The first 17 years of my life, I was not classed as a citizen of this country,” Aunty Esther said.
Aunty Esther also spoke about the significance of the possum skin cloak to Aboriginal people, who traditionally began making their own cloak at the age of six.
Uncle Lloyd Murray delivered a powerful message about reconciliation, praising the Gannawarra Shire community for its long-standing commitment to healing old wounds.
“In my life I have never felt an obvious divide between Aboriginal people and white people; I found that through hard work, my involvement with sport and friendship I was accepted as I was,” he said.
“Respect the past but let’s go with the future, that’s what I feel today.”
Cr Sonia Wright spoke at Cohuna about the meaning of Reconciliation Week, saying the theme of ‘let’s take the next steps’ was particularly relevant to the Gannawarra Shire, which was a finalist in the Helping Achieve Reconciliation Together award.
“Today is an opportunity for all of us to reflect, commemorate, heal and acknowledge the stolen generations as we continue on the reconciliation journey,” she said.
Speaking at Koondrook, Cr Steve Tasker said that, 50 years after Aboriginal recognition and 25 years after the Mabo land-rights decision, the path to reconciliation has taken persistence and resilience on behalf of indigenous people.
The event concluded with a musical performance by Ron Murray and Sarah James, who celebrated the cultural heritage of their ancestors in a blend of Indigenous Australian and Celtic music.
