Hello to all in Naarm!
I begin by acknowledging the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
Elders past and present.
And to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people gathered from across the continent.
To Gail and Kaleb Mabo -
My good friend, Dr Lynette Riley and Leila Smith – thank you for your leadership.
To Ngarra Murray, Rueben Berg, Andy Gargett from the First Peoples' Assembly
And Leonard Hill and Jodie Sizer from AIATSIS thank you for bringing together this amazing summit.
Ngurra
Now, a couple of months ago I turned 67.
And there's nothing like getting a year older to make you stop and reflect.
To think about time.
To think about the past and the future.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, through our beliefs, are connected to the past, present and future -
It's why we have such deep reverence for our ancestors.
Connection to the land.
And love of our children and grandchildren.
We are embraced by the dreaming and grounded in at least 65,000 years of belonging.
And despite there being a greater appreciation for Indigenous art, culture and music across Australia in recent decades –
There remains no significant national landmark, monument or cultural centre that tells our story and our history.
I want to change that.
Today, I announce that we build a revamped plan for Ngurra –
An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct – at the Acton Peninsula in Canberra.
Ngurra will be a place where Australians – including us – students, and international visitors can learn, experience and engage with over 65,000 years of culture, tradition, and story.
As part of this new plan for Ngurra, AIATSIS' current premises will be upgraded and expanded to include a National Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Centre.
The Centre will affirm the position of AIATSIS as a national cultural institution focused on the histories and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We will also build a National Resting Place to house and care for First Nations ancestral remains without provenance – and those waiting to return to country.
This will be bricks and mortar truth-telling.
A place where our history can be recognised and celebrated.
A place for us to pay respect to our elders.
I made this decision following talks with the Traditional Owners in the Canberra region and in consultation with the AIATSIS leadership.
And my hope is that this new site will allow First Nations people from across the Canberra region, and around Australia, to feel at home.
Delivering a better Ngurra within the project's $316 million budget.
It will tell First Nations stories truthfully – from black brilliance to the story of our survival -
Together with places like the Larrakia Cultural Centre in Darwin
And the National Indigenous Cultural Centre in Alice Springs.
We are seeing a once in a generation investment in Indigenous cultural sites across the country.
It's something that was simply unthinkable a generation ago.
What comes next?
Now, I understand the referendum outcome last year, has left many people hurt, including myself.
That some are questioning the very future of reconciliation.
But I have also been around for a while, and I know that sometimes change happens fast.
But more often than not, change happens slowly -
Incrementally.
Over decades, not days.
The story of the Aboriginal justice and rights movements is one of both progress and setbacks.
The referendum may have been a setback.
But progress is not a straight line.
With each passing generation we do our bit to nudge things in the direction of progress.
So what can we do now?
We need more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the table –
At the Cabinet table –
At the boardroom table –
In business –
Running not-for-profits in community sectors.
In the places where decisions are made.
We can advance First Nations justice and rights by getting our people in the room where decisions are made.
In my own position, I've seen the importance of having a black perspective in advocating for greater investment in remote housing, fixing CDP and replacing it with a remote jobs and economic development program.
By prioritising justice reinvestment – to make sure our young people are not robbed of their future by the criminal justice system.
I have been able to use my position at the Cabinet table to effect change for the better.
So, I say, do not give up hope.
Do not give up hope of a better future.
Treaty and truth telling
Today, I also want to talk to you about treaty and truth-telling.
The Albanese Government remains committed to the principles of treaty and truth-telling.
We are taking our time following the referendum to get truth telling and treaty right.
Already, important treaty and truth-telling work is underway at the state and territory level.
Here in Victoria of course, we see the progress being made by the First Peoples' Assembly.
And recently, we've seen the importance of the Yoorook Justice Commission –
Helping to deliver an historic apology from Victoria Police on the forced removal of Aboriginal children in Victoria.
Work is underway too in South Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory, the ACT, and Tasmania.
This is important work.
It is how we deal with the injustices of the past and move forward together, united.
Open hearts, open minds
As I talk to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the country I am humbled –
That despite everything we've been through.
The dispossession, the massacres and the discrimination –
There is a deep generosity of spirit.
An immutable determination not just to survive – but to thrive.
To continue to celebrate – and yes, to share – our culture and history.
To tell our nation's story -
In full, with all its complexity.
It's an unfair burden.
But one that we carry in the vision of a better future for our children.
And for the whole country.
Ngurra can help do this.
Thank you everyone.
And thank you and congratulations to AIATSIS for putting together another excellent summit.