“We first acknowledge the resilience and wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly their willingness to engage so collaboratively and constructively in treaty and truth-telling processes…Treaty and truth-telling are essential elements to ensuring healing and reconciliation and to effectively addressing the socio-economic targets in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap,” say Archbishop Jeremy, Aunty Dr Rose, The Rev’d Canon Bruce, Bishop Cam, Bishop John, Bishop Sarah, Bishop Daniel and the Cathedral Dean
Meet Aunty Dr Rose Elu and find out why a US President gave her a bear hug, what class action she is involved in, what day she would like to re-live, why she is going to Azerbaijan in November, her thoughts on Reconciliation, her earliest child memory and her secret skill
Hear inter-faith leaders from around the nation, including Aunty Dr Rose Elu and Archbishop Jeremy Greaves, “speak with one voice” as they ask the prime minister and the leader of the opposition to work together towards a historic investment in clean energy enabling an urgent transition away from fossil fuels
“I have shared something of my culture here with you — how muiy (fire) gives physical and spiritual strength to my people. I have shared this from the warmth that I have for you in my heart. I encourage you to similarly share with someone this NAIDOC Week something of your culture, speaking from the warmth in your own heart. What keeps your pride in your culture burning?” asks Aunty Dr Rose Elu
“I also often invite other Anglicans to see that Torres Strait Islander Christians are Christians in our own way. We seamlessly blend our ancient sovereign ways and knowledges as Traditional Custodians with the wider Church’s ways and knowledges. For example, as part of my baptism as a baby, my mum removed my clothing and nappy and held me up in the sea breeze to be sprayed, to first be blessed, by the malu (ocean). She then took me to the church for the service,” says Aunty Dr Rose Elu
“One of the greatest tragedies of the referendum outcome is that the lives of non-Indigenous Australians who voted ‘no’ will continue on the same just as their lives would have continued on the same if they had voted ‘yes’. It is the lives of First Nations peoples who will be impacted by the referendum result — and negatively so for decades to come,” says Aunty Dr Rose Elu
“Last week the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Council (NATSIAC) — the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to General Synod — gathered for their annual meeting in Newcastle…During the meeting, the overwhelming majority of NATSIAC report presenters expressed their sadness and dismay at the referendum result. There was also a sense that the referendum result exposed a deeper darkness in this land…There was a lingering feeling of deep sadness, as well as bewilderment, dismay and a fear for the future, especially for the future of our children,” say The Rev’d Canon Bruce Boase, Aunty Dr Rose Elu and Aunty Sandra King OAM
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