Voice, A New Vision: How We Vote Will Forever Change Our Narrative

words TEELA REID artwork LAUREN ROGERS

The Uluru Statement from the Heart, released in 2017, is the largest consensus of First Nations peoples on a proposal for substantive recognition in Australian history. In a historic move, Anthony Albanese endorsed the statement during his 2022 election victory and this year will see a referendum called for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The Senate vote earlier this week signals the end of the processes and procedures needed to pass legislation to hold a referendum. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will now set a date that is no sooner than two months and no later than six months.

While the Voice is not, nor should be, considered a cure-all for the systemic racism of this country, it is an important starting point for ongoing structural change. In Issue 57, Peppermint had the honour of working alongside Wiradjuri and Wailwan lawyer Teela Reid as she penned the feature ‘Voice, A New Vision’ – centring her fierce commitment to bettering the status quo.

As part of Peppermint’s commitment to sharing valuable resources and amplifying First Nations’ voices, we have published this feature online in full so it is free for all to access. Here, Teela speaks to “reckoning, not reconciliation” and why it’s high time we wrote a new chapter in our nation’s history.

Let me be very clear from the outset; this always was, always will be, First Nations land, sky and sea.

Yaama, I’m Teela Reid! I’m a proud Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman, lawyer, storyteller and the co-founder of Blackfulla Bookclub on Instagram – a community platform that celebrates First Nations Ancestors as the original storytellers. I was born and raised in my community, Gilgandra in western New South Wales. I am also an Aboriginal Land Rights litigator and the inaugural First Nations Lawyer in Residence at the University of Sydney Law School. Previously, I was a working group leader on Section 51(xxvi), commonly known as the Race Power, of the Australian constitution that culminated in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

READ MORE – Voice, A New Vision: The Process and Principles of a Referendum

The idea to enshrine a First Nations Voice is one of the systemic changes mandated in the Uluru Statement from the Heart: “We call for a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the constitution.” That is the invitation the Australian people have overwhelmingly accepted at the heart of the Uluru Statement – to enshrine a “First Nations Voice”. It invites the Australian people to “walk with us” towards a First Nations Voice and a Makarrata Commission. A Makarrata Commission would supervise a process of treaties and truth-telling. Makarrata is a Yolngu word meaning “coming together after a struggle”. This is the vision for a better future and the mandate formulated by a cross-section of the First Nations community.

How we respond to the referendum will forever change the course of our nation’s narrative.

This year is going to be an epic year as Australians vote at a referendum. How we respond to the referendum will forever change the course of our nation’s narrative. It is so important Australians actively participate in this process and make an informed choice to vote yes or no. The only way to change the constitution is via the Australian people. Politicians do not have the power to change it; the constitution is the people’s document.

READ MORE – Voice, A New Vision: Actioning Solidarity Through Allyship

This is a movement of the Australian people, walking in solidarity with First Nations peoples. It is powered by everyday Australians who want to build a better future for our nation with a shared vision to ensure we achieve a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Australian constitution. A future that is built on the self-determination of the many different voices of the First Nations; having a voice on the laws and policy decisions that affect our lives within our communities.

It is powered by everyday Australians who want to build a better future for our nation… A future that is built on the self-determination of the many different voices of the First Nations; having a voice on the laws and policy decisions that affect our lives within our communities.

To appreciate the importance of this call to action, it is vital to understand that building a First Nations Voice is simply the starting point and not the end goal. A First Nations Voice enables Makarrata and sets the framework for processes of treaties and truth-telling across the continent. Both the Voice and Makarrata are not new concepts within Aboriginal activism; there are many examples in history of Aboriginal people calling for greater control and decision-making power over our lives, families and communities. A Makarrata, or resolution to peace, was also tabled to the Australian Government in 1985 in the Social Justice Package Report.

Solidarity with the mandate for a First Nations Voice does not mean you expect all First Nations to agree, but it does mean you accept the idea to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament is to enable the many different voices to be heard and allow First Nations peoples to speak on behalf of the issues confronting their communities.

Our ability to influence systemic change depends on our capacity to mobilise in a unified way. It doesn’t mean we all agree, but it does demand that we stand in solidarity, despite our differences, to fight for a new vision. Tension is useful when it galvanises the strength in unity that is capable of disrupting the plans of the powerful. When it comes to activism, there is no room for small talk; we must have skin in the game both on and off the court, playing not only by Australia’s rules but by our own. It is up to you to decide what side of history you’re going to stand on, to mobilise your resources and to commit to the mandate in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Empowering yourself with accurate information about what the First Nations Voice is and why it is necessary to go to a referendum is vital to ensuring you safely engage in the public conversation.

Our ability to influence systemic change depends on our capacity to mobilise in a unified way. It doesn’t mean we all agree, but it does demand that we stand in solidarity, despite our differences, to fight for a new vision.

As a nation, the story we tell ourselves about who we are, our national identity and our connection to one another is inevitably tied to how Australia values the sovereignty and self-determination of First Nations peoples. Together, let’s write a new chapter in our nation’s history!

READ MORE – Voice, A New Vision: A Chronology of First Nations Action