On January 26, 2018, the Balaangala “Towards a Treaty” group presented their Declaration of Commitment and Intent. The declaration was supported and signed by over 100 people in attendance.
The declaration reads:
We, the undersigned –
Acknowledge that:
- all Australians live on Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island land
- land was taken without consent, payment or treaty
- theft of land included massacres and the decimation of cultures and languages
- First Nations people resisted colonisation as evidenced by the “frontier wars”
- generations of First Nations people have continued to fight for land rights, justice, self-determination and a voice for their communities
- colonisation has resulted in inter-generational trauma for many First Nations people, their families and communities
- non-Aboriginal Australians have benefited and continue to benefit from colonization, especially through dispossession of land and stolen or unpaid wages
- on-going racist government policies continue to have a detrimental impact on First Nations people
We affirm that:
- non-Aboriginal Australians need to take personal responsibility for learning the truth of our shared history (beginning in their local community) and its continuing impact on First Nations people
- addressing past and current injustices (political, economic, social) must include compensation (monetary and/or otherwise) and land rights for First Nations people
- reconciliation must include privileging First Nation people’s voices and stories, listening to and hearing the truth with open hearts
We commit to:
- learning more about our shared history and current issues that impact on First Nations people
- engagement and action at our local community level
- supporting a movement towards a national treaty