Acknowledging country at ALP National Conference 2021

LINDA BURNEY DELIVERS THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY AT THE ALP NATIONAL CONFERENCE - TUESDAY, 30 MARCH 2021

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Ma rang nga rin.

Dyira mad ilinya badhu Wiradjuri.

Ngin ha nguram bang marun- bun- mil girri dyu

I have just said in Wiradjuri:

Good morning.

I am proud to be Wiradjuri.

I respect my elders.

Thank you to the Janawi Dancers, for sharing your art and your culture with us all.

And I bring with me the the best wishes of Aunty Norma Shelley OAM.

It is with great pride that I acknowledge country today.

At the 2021 Australian Labor Party Special Platform Conference.

While a welcome to country can only be done by the traditional owners of an area -

An acknowledgement is an important mark of respect that we can all offer.

Today we meet in Revesby - a place that was named after Joseph Banks, the Squire of Revesby in Lincolnshire.

A man who sailed to these ancient lands with James Cook, on the Endeavour.

This part of the world is defined by the Georges River -

A lifeline for Aboriginal People for over 60,000 years.

The northern shore is Dharug Country.

The southern shore is Dharawhal Country.

Eora to the East.

Within those nations there are many clan groups including the Milpra and Badigal.

Stephen Gapps wrote in his book The Sydney Wars:

It was on this tapestry of open woodlands, creeks and rivers across a plain -

surrounded by rugged mountains and escarpments -

that warfare between colonists and ‘the real proprietors of the soil’… took place.

In many ways, the terrain shaped the nature of the conflict…

It united what was a long and at times gruesome and bloody period of wars.

It is important that we as a party, and as a nation, practice Truth-Telling.

And the truth is that the First Peoples of Australia defended their country.

Reciprocity is a cornerstone of the First Nations worldview.

This notion of reciprocity acknowledges that we are all connected.

Individuals, communities and our living environment.

Reciprocity forms the foundation of Labor beliefs, values and traditions as well.

Ensuring no Australian gets left behind.

Living sustainably and harmoniously with our natural environment, and preserving it for future generations.

Working toward an equal and inclusive society for all Australians.

Because Labor is on your side.

Friends – ngali yana hgi (‘let’s go’) – let us proceed with the conference.

LINDA BURNEY

SPEECH - TUESDAY, 30 MARCH 2021