Turning Indigenous discomfort into pride
The number one challenge for workplaces: Know how to make a space that is absolutely inviting to people from all cultures, writes Professor Shane Hearn, head of First Nations engagement and communication, Think HQ.
You can’t be what you can’t see.
Marlee Silva told me that this week, in an interview held to commemorate National Reconciliation Week.
It’s an enduring idea for so many of us in First Nations communities, precisely because it highlights how much bravery we must muster to make actual change. Because, as kids, we didn’t see people like us on TV or in the paper or making the big decisions. It was so pronounced many of us didn’t even notice. We just internalised that idea of not being a part of things. Of being something other from mainstream Australia.
Your podcast with Marlee Silva was a wonderful contribution to Reconciliation Week. And your words here add to the deep, rich wisdom that emerged through the conversation about the ancient and modern histories and cultures of our First Nations, and about the lived experiences and aspirations of First Nations’ peoples in contemporary Australia.
The learning is clear for all other Australians – and the actions are within our reach and our spheres of responsibility.