History, Truth Telling, and The Uluru Statement from the Heart (watch recording)

The Uluru Statement from the Heart has been invoked by the newly elected Labor government, which has been celebrated by some as a sign of hope and reconciliation. The Statement has wide, but not universal, support from First Nations communities. It is framed in terms of a specific historical period – ‘from the Creation, according to the common law from “time immemorial,” and according to science more than 60,000 years ago.’

In this online webinar, The Uniting Church National History Society in association with the University of Divinity and the School of Indigenous Studies, brought together Indigenous leaders and historians to discuss the significance of this historical framing.

The panel engages in a respectful and robust discussion around the Statement and explore the place of history and truth telling in working toward that Makarrata which is the ‘coming together after a struggle’ for the sake of a more just and self-determined future for First Nations people.

Panel Members:

• Nathan Tyson, Anaiwon/Gomeroi man and Manager, First Peoples Strategy and Engagement in the NSW/ACT Synod.
• The Rev Emily Hayes, UCA minister at John Flynn Memorial Church, Alice Springs, NT.
• Dr Laura Rademaker, Historian at Australian National University, whose book Found in Translation: Many Meanings on a North Australian Mission was awarded the 2020 Hancock Prize.
• The Rev Tim Matton-Johnson, Panninher man, currently living on Mumirimina country (Kutalayna: Lower Jordon river Valley, TAS.: at least 40,000 years of continuous human occupation.) Now retired; formally a UAICC minister.

(Webinar recorded live on 21 July 2022)