Great Scot 169_September_2023_E-MAG | Page 32

NEWS
RECONCILIATION IS NOT AN OUTCOME , IT
IS ( BIRRANG ) – A JOURNEY PHOTOS ON THESE PAGES ARE FROM THE 2023 SCOTCH
RECONCILIATION VIDEO .
LEFT : BIRRA WHYMAN-COOMBES
( YEAR 11 ) AND TANNER ARMSTRONG
( YEAR 9 ).
RIGHT : TOBIAS ( TJ )

SCOTCH COLLEGE RECONCILIATION WEEK SPEECH BY AJ WILLIAMS-TCHEN

KINTHARI ( YEAR 11 ) AND PHILIP ( PJ )
CROCOMBE (’ 18 )
AJ Williams-Tchen was first brought to our attention when Scotch ' s Head of Art , Yudha Scholes attended a seminar that AJ was presenting . I then made contact with him and heard his story of being part of the Stolen Generations , and how he now works in the Indigenous mental health field , winning awards for his work from public bodies and universities . AJ has become a strong friend of the school and is a mentor to our Indigenous boys , past and present . He conducts regular workshops with the boys , with the aim of improving their understanding of different Aboriginal cultures , and inspiring the boys to embrace the opportunities that Scotch and life offers them . He has presented a number of mental health workshops to our staff , and tells his life story to Year 10 History classes and the Indigenous Partnership Program .
DR ROB SMITH – HEAD OF INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS
Yama Dummerang ! Yuwin gadhi Nunarmum
Good morning and welcome For those who do not know me , my name is Uncle AJ .
I am Magu-war ( happy ) to come here this garin ( morning ) to yar-ya-lan-ha ( talk ) with you Wal-way ( young men ) and yalla-bild-anny ( teachers ).
I am a proud Aboriginal ( gibar ) man from the tribes of Wiradjuri and Wotjobulak . My people are the Girraway ( goanna ) people .
I have been involved with Scotch College – this ( bang-gal-gu-walabung ) place for the past ( marra-bula ) seven years : so many of you may have seen me ( bundal-gan-ha ) hanging around . I may have already met some of you during Literacy Week or in Year 10 History .
I often share the story of my childhood to show people how recent Aboriginal history really is in Australia , and how the true Aboriginal stories are often not talked about . I am part of the Stolen Generations . I was taken from my mum when I was ( bula ) two . The government changed records to hide the fact that I was still alive . My name was changed . But I always grew up knowing I was an Aboriginal ( wanggaay ) kid .
I was ( dinna marra marra ) 15 when I found out that my mum was alive .
I was ( dinna marra marra ) 15 when I found out about my true birth-date .
I was around the same age as most of you when I learnt that those first ( dinna marra marra ) years of my life were not a true picture of who I was .
I spent the next 10 ( marra marra ) years trying to find my mum , my family and my brothers . Today is not about me , though . In another way , it is about understanding that what happened to me is not unique . In fact , Stolen Generations have affected nearly every Aboriginal family in some way .
Reconciliation is about understanding the true Aboriginal histories that exist . It is about acknowledging the past . It is about recognising that this past is much more recent then where most people place it .
Reconciliation is about coming together - or in my language ( bull-a-bull ) and ( wudhagaa-binya ) listening to the yarns , stories , experiences and traumas of Aboriginal people , their families and communities .
It is about not shying away from ( guri ) the truths . It is about allowing yourself to feel uncomfortable at times as you work your way through those ( gurI ) truths .
It is about being ( Walan-gunmala ) brave enough to have difficult discussions with your family and your friends about what you learn , in order to help us break the stereotypes and myths that exist with regards to Indigenous people in Australia .
Reconciliation can be about un-learning things that you may have been taught , about learning and re-learning new ( guri ) truths . It is about knowing ways to become a true ally or ( mala-yar ) friend .
A true ally is one who stops to ( winhang- garra ) listen . It is a person who stands up and ( gabin-birra ) fights for Aboriginal rights when they see racism , discrimination and injustice .
It is not about you ( yaya-lanha ) talking for us . It is about creating platforms and forums for us where our stories can be told by us .
For a long time our stories were taken from us . Our words were spoken and shared through a white lens . Reconciliation is about YOU being the future change-makers .
And you can start this reconciliation journey right now .
The first thing you need to do is look at yourself .
What is your understanding of Aboriginal history in Australia ?
What events in Aboriginal history are you aware of ?
What is your understanding of ‘ Closing the Gap ’?
Where exactly are Aboriginal people positioned in 2023 ?
At the moment our people are still dying 10-15 years younger than non-Indigenous people .
We still have high rates of ( gallingabang-bur ) children in child protection and juvenile justice settings . This is often the first generation of Aboriginal people getting to Year 12 . This is the first generation that is
30 Great Scot Issue 169 – September 2023