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Maribyrnong City Council Statement of Commitment to Reconcilation with Indigenous Australians
Category:	Event
Date:	29 May 1998
Sub Category:	Statement of Commitment/Intention
Place:	Western suburbs of Melbourne
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State/Country:	Victoria, Australia
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Subject Matter:	Reconciliation \| Local Government
Summary Information:
Maribyrnong City Council signed a Statement of Commitment to Reconciliation with Indigenous Australians on the 29th May 1998. The Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation are currently recognised as being the remaining traditional custodians of land in the western suburbs of Melbourne.
Detailed Information:
The Statement of Commitment reads: The Maribyrnong City Council acknowledges that Indigenous Australians are the first people of this land and that they have strived to retain their culture and identity through two centuries of non-Indigenous settlement. We acknowledge and respect their values and customs, the traditional names, and the importance of Indigenous people's spiritual relationship to land and water. For its part the Maribyrnong City Council acknowledges and grieves for the loss by the Indigenous people of their relationship to the land, their children, their health and their lives. We recognise the rights of Indigenous Australians as outlined in the Draft United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples. We recognise the contributions made by Indigenous people to the history of the western region of Melbourne and look forward to a future of mutual respect and harmony. Maribyrnong is a city of many diverse cultures. People have come to this city to make their home or to seek refuge in a safe place. They share with Indigenous Australians the experience of dispossession or the loss of land, family and livelihood. As the Council of this city, we commit ourselves to working to create a place where all are welcome, respected, experience freedom and contribute to the life of the City.