Unlearning History in NAIDOC Week

Welcome to Mostly Unlearning, a newsletter that amplifies accessibility and disability voices for more impactful commercial and human outcomes. 

Today’s edition coincides with mid-Disability Pride Month and NAIDOC Week, a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. 

One of the most significant unlearning experiences I've had this year was watching 'The Australian Wars' on SBS. The history, culture, and experiences of Australia’s First Nations people are vastly different from what I was taught growing up in New Zealand and after moving to Australia. 

This edition provides resources to encourage unlearning, directing you to people whose stories deserve retelling.

I live, work and love on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. 

Acknowledgement of Country

In Australia, it is increasingly customary to acknowledge the First Nations people and their traditional country on which you’re meeting. These can vary, often from a standard script. Here is mine.

“I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which I am writing this today, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.”

NAIDOC

“NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the 1920′s which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.”

The Australian Wars

Before finishing up at nbn, I had the opportunity to connect with Rebekah Williams and discuss her plans for NAIDOC celebrations. She has been leading groups in watching and discussing the 'The Australian Wars' series on SBS, confronting the truer history of early Australia and encouraged me to watch it to.

It was a profound unlearning experience for me.

As a newly minted Australian of Caucasian background, it is not my place to speak on behalf of First Nations people, whose voices have been silenced and marginalised. The history we were taught was factually incorrect, as confirmed not only by the oral histories of the First Nations people but also by the British records from the time and modern archaeological evidence. 

I encourage you to watch the series for yourself. Watch The Australian Wars | Stream free on SBS On Demand

What's this got to do with disability?

First Nations people in Australia are disproportionately impacted by disability. According to the First Peoples Disability Network Australia (FPDN), a national human rights organisation of and for Australia’s First Peoples with disabilities, their families, and communities, the statistics are startling and significantly higher than those of the general population.

As a disability advocate working in Australia, my work is incomplete without understanding the impact of colonisation, historical events, and the legacy these leave on the First Peoples of Australia.

Unlearning prompts

• The history of colonisation in Australia
• The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experience of colonisation
• Sources of learning to broaden understanding of the impacts and asks of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Particularly those affected by disability.

Join the unlearning.

You can subscribe to learn with me. I'll share what I learn (and unlearn) about accessibility and disability. Together, we will consider the implications for impactful commercial and human outcomes.