Bridging Now to Next: National Reconciliation Week
Dates & Seasons
ACSQ Reconciliation Action Plan Coordinator Aunty Sandra King OAM shares some of her Reconciliation story and about this year’s National Reconciliation Week theme song
Pop culture has contributed to non-Indigenous people advocating for us and our rights as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There are many films and songs that I think have helped positively change many people’s views and outlooks.
As for films, I feel Rabbit-Proof Fence, which was released in 2002 and directed by Phillip Noyce, significantly contributed to non-Indigenous people becoming aware of the Stolen Generations and their rights to their land. Rabbit-Proof Fence is based on the 1996 book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara. The film is based on the story of Doris Pilkington Garimara’s mother and two aunts who, at the ages of 14, 11 and eight respectively, undertook a 1,600km fence-line desert journey to find their way back home to Jigalong in Western Australia after being forcibly taken from their families.
The sad thing is, I haven’t watched this film fully. I can’t because it’s too emotional for me. I have bought the DVD, but I have not opened it. A lot of films about the Stolen Generations or about our people fighting for their rights are films I can’t see, but I do go and buy the DVDs to support the directors, actors and everyone else involved in the films.
I think the only song that has made a difference in Australia and has gotten international recognition is “Treaty” by Yothu Yindi. “Treaty” is the first song by a predominantly Aboriginal band to chart in Australia. The song was composed by Yothu Yindi, in collaboration with Paul Kelly and Midnight Oil, to protest the failure of the Australian Government to honour Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s promise to Australia’s First Peoples for a treaty.
When “Treaty” was released in 1991, it made every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person get up and dance and sing. It was, and still is, the one song that gets everybody up and dancing. This song is so beloved and inspires me so much that I have used it in fashion parade routines as part of my model management business.
The 2025 National Reconciliation Week (NRW) theme is Bridging Now to Next. The National Reconciliation Week website explains that this theme “reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future” and invites us “to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us.”
Reconciliation Australia has selected an official National Reconciliation Week song this year — the 1982 song “Solid Rock”. This iconic land rights song was written by Shane Howard after he visited Uluru.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples), with the support of Australian Churches.
As NRW grew beyond Churches to become a cross-sector initiative, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation launched Australia’s first National Reconciliation Week in 1996.
In 2001 Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership on reconciliation.
Here are some ideas for the planning of your National Reconciliation Week events between Tuesday 27 May (which commemorates the successful 1967 referendum) and Tuesday 3 June (which commemorates the High Court Mabo decision):
- A morning tea (for example with story-telling and bush-tucker inspired food).
- Inviting an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person to share about their life, the Stolen Generations and reconciliation.
- Inviting an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businessperson to talk about their business or about other First Nations-owned businesses.
- Inviting a weaver to show your guests how to weave with plant material.
Please remember that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as experts and custodians of knowledge, may charge a fee.
I have been doing reconciliation all my life — trying to change people’s perceptions of me and First Nations peoples more broadly. I’ve been trying to break down barriers. I’ve been knocking on doors for acceptance. I’ve marched in the streets in the 1970s and at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
Reconciliation Week is about everybody coming together in a spirit of respect to learn about and reckon with Australia’s history.
When I sat as a child at the feet of my Elders — my mum and family and community Aunties — my leadership journey started. These Elders taught me about laughter, fun, land rights, our history, acceptance, and about supporting each other in tough times. This formation led to who I am today…Aunty Sandra King — a proud Yagara, Quandamooka, Bundjalung and South Sea Islander woman.
Author’s note: Visit the National Reconciliation Week website for resources and posters; to find out what events are happening in your area; and, to add your event to the NRW calendar. Please remember to use “#NRW2025” on your social media posts.
Editor’s note 22/05/2025: An invitation to hear First Nations and community leaders share why Truth-telling and Healing are so important, particularly for the Stolen Generations. Hosted by ACSQ Reconciliation Action Plan Coordinator Aunty Sandra King OAM. Free event. Refreshments provided. RSVP online by 5pm Wednesday 28 May for catering purposes.
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