Students across Illawarra walk for Reconciliation Week
More than 35 schools participated in the walk to mark National Reconciliation Week, bringing to life this year's theme: Bridging Now to Next.
"It's a brilliant opportunity to bring all the community together, and more importantly, we're teaching young kids — both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal — about Aboriginal culture," Uncle Darrell Brown told the ABC's Indigenous Affairs Team.
Students and teachers made their way from the Warilla Surf Club to Reddall Parade where they took part in a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country.
"When we do a Welcome to Country, we're speaking to the ancestors who protect the country, saying, look we're here, we're visiting, please protect us," said Yuin woman Maiquilla Brown.
Ms Brown, the Aboriginal community planner at Shellharbour City Council, said the recent discussion around winding back Welcome to Country ceremonies shows a lack of understanding of First Nations people and culture.
"We're not talking about welcoming people to Australia or a nation or a country as a whole.
"It's welcoming people into that small area of land or physical country, and all the cultural and spiritual connections to that area."
After the Welcome, the group held a minute's silence to pay homage to elders who have passed.
They celebrated the spirit of reconciliation with a flag exchange between students and local elders.
"It's amazing to me, seeing all the kids willing to put on the ochre and coming out here today," said Koorin Campbell, who played didgeridoo for the Gumaraa dancers who performed on the day.
"We get to walk with our culture and our religion," one young student told the ABC.
"[It's] learning about your culture, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous people [coming together]," another said.
Lake Illawarra High has been participating in the local reconciliation walk since its inception 18 years ago.
Behind the scenes is Aunty Denise Willis, an Aboriginal liaison officer who has worked at the school for over 25 years.
It's an event she looks forward to each year.
"We can walk the walk and be strong, powerful and not afraid. It makes us very proud of our community," she said.
The long fight for Indigenous rights hasn't been easy, and it's something Aunty Denise doesn't shy away from.
"I'm one of the older girls that experienced difficult times," she reflected.
"To talk about reconciliation … means recognising our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and looking at the injustices that they have faced and where we are today.
"We're heading in the right direction, but we've got heaps more to do."
Lake Illawarra High's commitment to reconciliation is displayed in the Aboriginal murals in the playground and the growth in First Nations enrolment rates, led by Aunty Denise's work.
"Seeing the younger generations, non-Indigenous people walking together and supporting our people, I feel emotional because it's a wonderful thing to see that progress happening," she said.
Shellharbour City Council has been organising the reconciliation walk for almost two decades.
For the council's Ms Brown, reconciliation "starts with empathy and understanding".
"We need young people to understand the impacts of truth-telling and learning about Aboriginal history," she said.
"Reconciliation for me, it really means reflection, thinking about what's happened in the past, all those atrocities, all the barriers and inequalities, and thinking about how we can make the future a better place for everyone."
Ms Brown noted that the walk draws First Nations people with cultural connections across the east coast.
"Our guests also have European or international family members … so it's important we share our culture so they can participate in it, learn it and embrace it," she said.
"As long as we want to keep moving together and making Australia better for everybody, right now, reconciliation is the best strategy we've got.
"If we step back from that, then we don't have anything to help us advance an Australia where Aboriginal people feel equal."
Respected Yuin Elder Uncle Gerald Brown — known affectionately as Uncle Gee — has been involved in many of the previous years' walks, including performing the Welcome to Country for over a decade.
"I get a lot of satisfaction out of it," he said.
Reflecting on Australia's progress to reconciliation, including his disappointment at the outcome of the Voice referendum, Uncle Gee said the event gives him hope.
"It's different now to when we went to school, we were never allowed to go to anything like this, so we're making a change for the better, I believe, anyway," he said.
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