Reconciliation Week

Acknowledgement of Country

by Jonathan Hill

Today we stand in footsteps millennia old.

May we acknowledge the traditional owners, whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, this land, since men and women awoke from the great dream.

We honour the presence of these ancestors who reside in the imagination of this landand whose irrepressible spirituality flows through all creation.

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

At PPN, we wanted our students to have reconciliation etched into their hearts, minds and actions. Reconciliation Week opened with a special Assembly and will close with an even more special Chapel. Every class was also encouraged to create ‘Reconciliation Rocks’, a creative and colourful opportunity to share an empowering message with the wider community. Not only did students engage in Aboriginal Storytelling with their rocks but they were encouraged to hide their rocks in their local neighbourhood for others to find. This one little action will cause a cascading ripple of kindness because as the rock is found by someone, not only will they read the message but they will share it as well by hiding the rock again. It is very exciting to know that not only is PPN taking action at school, they are also taking action to Adelaide. Reconciliation does Rock! Great work PPN, keep being the respectful community God (and Australia) asks us to be.