| The Commitment states:
Council recognises:
· That Indigenous Australians were the first people of this land;
· The ingenuity, spirit and contribution of Indigenous people;
· That social and cultural dispossession has caused the current disadvantages experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians;
· The centrality of Indigenous issues to Australian identity;
· That Indigenous people have lost their land, their children, their health and their lives and regrets these losses.
Council supports:
· The right of Indigenous people to live according to their own values and customs, subject to law;
· The vision as expressed by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation of a united Australia which respects this land of ours, values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island heritage and provides justice and equality for all;
· Campaigns for Indigenous people’s rights, especially to land and native title to land.
Council commits itself to:
· Building a trusting, collaborative and supportive relationship with Indigenous groups;
· Respecting identified Aboriginal sacred sites and special places;
· Educating itself and others on the strength and unique contribution of contemporary Aboriginal cultures, and of the facts of colonisation;
· Contributing to the promotion of accurate information on current issues;
· Encouraging equity and access for all members of Indigenous communities to culturally sensitive services. | |
