A call for celebration in a socio-political context, is usually warranted when one person or more need to express and show their pride and joy after they have succeeded at something. Last year, we saw the failed referendum on The Voice to Parliament, a proposed piece of legislation to alter the Constitution in order to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. This result lead to sadness in the hearts of many Australians and may lead us to think, what is there to celebrate, in this Diocese and beyond, about First Nations in 2024?

The answer to that question demands a personal and spiritual determination to look towards the possible future of our nation, and deeper into the relationship we – non-Aboriginal Christians - have with the land we call Australia. In engaging in such reflection, all Christians in Australia must consider and recognise that the initial European settlement and subsequent displacement of First Peoples from the land – whom they loved as their ‘mother’ - was decisively motivated by medieval Christian theology and doctrine. This was most clearly expressed in the Doctrine of Discovery (1493)1 , which legitimised the colonisation of lands discovered beyond Europe.

Theologian and Professor, Anne Pattel-Gray was the first Aboriginal person to be awarded a PhD (1995) and she has since published extensively on the negative consequences of both the colonisation process and the Christian missionaries, who acted as agents of that process. In an article written before the Voice to Parliament referendum, she explains what such relationship with ‘Country’ means for Aboriginal Australians.

“The Creator Spirit was with us long before the British invaded our lands, and our faith has been nurtured over thousands of years. As a result, we have an intimate relationship with the Creator Spirit and when we speak of this relationship, we invoke the Spirit Creator in our midst”.

Another reflection by Miriam Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann also provides valuable insight into that spiritual connection, “When I am out hunting, when I am in the bush, among the trees, on a hill or by a billabong; these are the times when I can simply be in God's presence. My people have been so aware of Nature. It is natural that we will feel close to the Creator”.

This spiritual dimension which has always existed, and which will continue to flourish in the foreseeable future is exactly what we need to celebrate. Late theologist, Dennis Edwards, together with a group of so-called eco-theologians, have explored the content and ambiguous significance of the Christian faith for a time of ecological destruction. In order to ‘keep the fire [of the Spirit] burning’ as part of our celebration, each and every one of us is called to work with Aboriginal communities and engage with government and other partners to improve our relationships with ‘Country’, and develop sustainable social, cultural and economic outcomes for Indigenous people and the wider community. The Indigenous people have already shown how this can be done.

The Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation (for instance) provides leadership, advocacy and action to protect, conserve and enhance cultural and natural values of people and ‘Country’ through cultural fire and land management practices. Firesticks values and respects country, local knowledge, protocols of Elders and ancestors and are committed to providing a supportive Indigenous-led network that fosters a community of practice to maintain and share Cultural fire knowledge and practice on ‘Country’.

Through our collective efforts, we can forge a future where the stories, traditions, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are cherished and celebrated, enriching the fabric of the nation with the oldest living culture in the world.

References

1 Nicholas V, Dum Diversas, 1452.

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