Regarded as the starting point of Indigenous self-empowerment and rights, Kirstie Parker, the First Nations lead for the Australia Day Council of South Australia, is reflecting on the first Day of Mourning in 1938, .
She’s curated the Australia Day Council’s 6th Morning of Mourning in Adelaide, inspired by that very event.
“The event picks up on the themes of the original protest.
“It’s an opportunity for our mob to say how we feel and to mark the day.
“You know, 87 years ago about saying we’re here, we’re not going anywhere. And you know, we want a better, basically, a better Australia, more broadly, but particularly for our people who continue to suffer disadvantage and injustice,” she says.
Aboriginal culture and protocols feature heavily in the event, with a keynote address on the importance of Indigenous languages from Karina Lester, an Aboriginal language expert and climate justice campaigner. The event concludes with a smoking ceremony by Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri elder, Moogy Sumner (pictured below).
Later a Survival Day march and rally will convene at Victoria Square, not part of the official Australia Day program and a stark reminder that a reconciled nation is still a way off.
Road to reconciliation
In November 2024, Kirstie was named one of the co-chairs of Reconciliation Australia with fellow director, Micahel Rose.
Kirstie is a Yuwaalaraay woman from northwest New South Wales and has built an extensive career in policy development, journalism, communications and the arts in the community, not-for-profit and government sector. She’s been an adviser to the Uluru Dialogues, the South Australian government, Editor of the Koori Mail newspaper and CEO of the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence. She was also elected co-chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.
On her appointment as co-chair, Parker says it’s an enormous privilege and an honour.
“I have the good fortune of working with the rest of the amazing board, and also my co-chair, Michael Rose, who is well known in Sydney, a non-Indigenous fellow, but obviously a long-term supporter of our people, and also the relationship between our mob and other Australians.
Three months into the role and she knows the job has its challenges.
“I have no illusions that it’s not going to be an entirely easy road, because, you know, there’s a there’s a lot of stuff in the air. At the moment, the temperature is quite high around issues pertaining to the relationships between our people and other Australians, and we’ve got a lot of work to do, but we also know that we have a lot of Australians who know that we can do better, not just on the 26th of January, but all year round,” she says.
She is inspired by leaders of the 1938 Day of Mourning to be staunch, courageous and dignified, but acknowledges that people might not have the energy or heart to continue the fight for justice.
“I no longer wear ruby-coloured glasses, you know, the last couple of years has told me a lot more about Australia and the level of work that we have to do. So I’m not here to put a positive spin on things. I think it’s important that we acknowledge the good, also the bad and the things that concern us. Because if we’re not concerned about some of the things that have been going on, I guess we’re not paying attention.
“I completely respect our people who, some of whom say I don’t have the energy, and in effect, I don’t have the heart. Because, you know, I’m sad about the state of relationships. I understand that it is exhausting and it is relentless, but I take a pretty pragmatic view of things, and that is that, if not us too, and if not now when, because we don’t have a minute to lose.” she adds.
Some good
When it comes starting new relationships with Aboriginal people, states like South Australia and Victoria are leading the way.
Kirstie, who lives in Adelaide on Kaurna country, is optimistic about the creation of the state’s First Nations Voice, a year ago.
“I know that a lot of mob here in South Australia are cautiously optimistic about what having that voice and input into policies and practices that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in South Australia will be able to achieve but obviously, you know, we’ve got remarkable work going on in Victoria through the work of the Victorian People’s Assembly and also the Yoorook Justice Commission.”
She describes the Queensland Government decision to repeal legislation enabling truth-telling and treaty an unfortunate step.
“It’s a sad day for our people, because if we can’t have conversations and talk about our shared truths, it doesn’t build a very firm foundation for respectful relationships moving forward.
.. but the thing that won’t go away is the courage and the staunchness of our people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are still here, we’re not going anywhere.
Many of us are also saying we welcome people standing alongside with us, because we know that we could build something pretty, pretty gorgeous if we’ve got a sound relationship going forward.”
