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Australians of many different national origins will celebrate Australia Day with barbecues, beach trips, sporting fixtures, citizenship ceremonies and multicultural events – and Survival Day concerts. As a fourth-generation Australian-born woman with ancestors coming from all over the British Isles, I commit myself to making this acknowledgement again on Australia Day this year:
Ngaala kaaditj Noongar moort keyen kaadak nidja boodja.
We acknowledge the Noongar People as the original custodians of this land.
I thank God that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are still here, despite my ancestors’ invasion of their beloved land, suppression of their rich languages, denial of their vibrant cultures, and even the deliberate killing of their people and the forcible removal of their children.
Our diocesan Synod in 2011 encouraged all of us to engage with the process of changing our Constitution to recognise the unique importance of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The special report came out last week, and we can read a ‘plain English’ summary just four pages long on the web at http://www.youmeunity.org.au/uploads/assets/180112%20Executive%20summary%20plain%20english.pdf .
As Anglicans, we can mark Australia Day with prayer, as well as cultural festivities and constitutional reflection. Here is a very simple prayer from A Prayer Book for Australia:
God, bless Australia,
guard our people
guide our leaders
and give us peace;
for Jesus’ Christ’s sake. Amen.
Elizabeth J. Smith