Healing nations
It is important for First Nations peoples to be fully engaged in the process of structural reform to overcome the legacies of colonisation, and together we can work towards a new shared future.
The Unsettled curators thank Neenah R. Gray for her assistance with this section’s web pages.
Curators’ acknowledgement
“We pay our respects and dedicate the Unsettled exhibition to the people and other Beings who keep the law of this land; to the Elders and Traditional Owners of all the knowledges, places, and stories in this exhibition; and to the Ancestors and Old People for their resilience and guidance.
We advise that there are some confronting topics addressed in this exhibition, including massacres and genocide. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be advised that there may be images of people who have passed away.”
Laura McBride and Dr Mariko Smith, 2021.
Healing nations
Truth-telling about Australia’s past is an important process for understanding who we are now and how we came to be as a nation. Truth-telling can be confronting, but the process can be powerful: grief can make way for healing, and healing unites people who were once divided. Truth-telling can shift perceptions and can help us develop a national narrative of unity and respect.
First Nations peoples must be fully engaged in the process of structural reform to overcome the legacies of colonisation and reconstruct the fabric of our societies for the good of this nation. All Australians can help support First Nations peoples to reach this goal.
