Back in 2017 I heard that some Indigenous people had released the Uluṟu Statement from the heart. The name was intriguing to me. Obviously Uluṟu is right in the middle of the continent, but saying “from the heart” emphasises the sincerity of the emotions behind writing it.
So I gave it a read. It’s just one page, and I think it’s beautiful. Here’s a link to where you can read it in full, and a video made by Midnight Oil where Indigenous people read it out.
View the Uluru Statement from The Heart
For me, this is not a big ask. I truly believe in representation, and truth telling. The Uluṟu Statement offers a path towards living together without white culture swallowing up everything that makes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures unique in the world. And I want that. Diversity and multiculturalism shouldn’t be about smooshing us all together into one assimilated blob where everyone is the same. It should be about celebrating our differences and learning from each other.
But just because I think the Voice is a good idea, that doesn’t mean that any old change to the constitution will do. It still has to be done properly or else it might make things worse. People on all sides of this decision are right to examine the proposed changes carefully. Later this week I’ll dig into the detail of the constitutional changes that we’re being asked to vote on.
Yes to the Voice 
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