Just a suggestion
At the memorial participants remembered, acknowledged our shared history, grieved, and committed ourselves to reconciliation.
We remember:
‘We are descendants of, and represent, all those who carried out murder and mayhem on the slopes below” (Beulah Adams and Des Blake)
“We are descdenants of those who survived the massacres” (Sue Blacklock and Lyall Munro)
“We acknowledge this our shared history. We seek reconciliation between our peoples, and healing of the wounds of the past”. (All)
“This is the history of every one of us; we are all heirs and survivors, beneficiaries and victims of its injustices and misunderstandings. We too want reconciliation and healing” (All participants, as the four embrace)
We acknowledge
that violence continued at places all over the country for 140 years
that it was all part of the taking of the land without negotiation or payment
that Aboriginal people rightly defended their land, families, culture and heritage
that there was a war between laws, cultures and belief systems
that this oppression continues into the present in the disrespect for Aboriginal culture
that history is still largely told from the view of non-Aboriginal people
We grieve
the lack of respect and negotiation in taking of the land
the destruction of language and culture
the breaking up of families and the forced separation of families
We commit ourselves
to a just reconciliation
to tell the truth to our children and grandchildren
to search for more respectful, equitable and just ways of living together in the land, where a person’s lot will no longer determined on the basis of their ancestry or skin colour, where the history of 60,000 years is honoured together with the history of the last two centuries, where the glorious parts of that history are celebrated with pride, and the dishonourable parts are acknowledged with shame.
Sue Blacklock and Beulah Adams dedicated the monument “to the telling of our shared history, and to the reconciliation of our peoples.”
Acknowledgements were made to: The work of the Committee, the Bingara Shire. Colin Isaacs (Artist of the Plaques), R F Gaites, Armsign, Phoenix Foundry, the Uniting Church, Transgrid, Transfield, the Heritage 2000 Fund and the special Ministerial grants of the New South Wales State Government, the Myall Creek Hall Committee, the Myall Creek Country Women’s Association, the Local Symbols of Reconciliation Project, including CAR, DIMA, COF, ATSIC, & ALGA, and the booklet grant of the New South Wales Reconciliation Council.