The theme of this year’s National Reconciliation Week is to be a Voice for Generations, encouraging all Australians to use their voice for reconciliation in their everyday lives.
At Creating Communities, we are committed to walking together on the reconciliation journey. Amplifying the voices of our First Nations colleagues and advisors, and using our own, is of particular importance this year as the country faces a historic referendum to embed a First Nations voice in the constitution.
We support The Voice wholeheartedly, and through our collective work and actions, we seek to create just, equitable and reconciled communities.
Our team has been working on several significant projects that support and amplify the aspirations of First Nations people in our communities.
East Newman Precinct Structure Plan
The East Newman Precinct Structure Plan is a project for which our team share a strong dedication and passion. As part of our work on the Newman Futures project, we have worked alongside Nyiyaparli Traditional Owners and Martu Custodians in Newman to develop and bring to life their vision for East Newman.
Drawing on generations of cooperation between Nyiyaparli and Martu, the East Newman Precinct Structure Plan is unique. It has been designed by First Nations people, for First Nations people, embracing the needs and aspirations of the local community.
The process of this plan has seen engagements with Martumili artists, Nyiyaparli and Martu elders and leaders, as well as people from across the community.
This year it was released for advertising by the Shire of East Pilbara, a monumental moment for the community and those who have dedicated many years to creating an East Newman that builds Strong Culture and Strong Families.
Come Together, a song in Nyiyaparli language
A facet of considering voice is recognising language. In Australia, there are over 250 Indigenous languages incorporating around 800 different dialects. Sadly, many languages have been lost due to colonisation and the stolen generation.
Through the This is Our Dream Cultural Compact, a Newman Futures initiative, we collaborated with Nyiyaparli singer-songwriters Noel Taylor, Benjamin Nicholls and Bradley Hall, who created the song “Come Together”.
This song uses Nyiyaparli language to unite the community. It’s a catchy tune that is being rolled out through Newman schools and organisations to encourage the community to learn the local language.
The song is now available on all major music streaming platforms and resources available from the Cultural Compact website.
UWA Pathways
In partnership with UWA, Creating Communities worked alongside Whadjuk Nyoongar man, Dr Richard Walley OAM, to inform its future planning for its Park Avenue and Nedlands sites.
Dr Walley is a highly respected Whadjuk Nyoongar man who has a deep connection to country and has worked for decades educating the people of Boorloo/Perth about the land in which they live and work.
From consulting with Dr Walley, several cultural narrative themes were developed, and the team got a better sense of the connection of traditional owners to the land on which these sites sit.
Through deep engagement with First Nations people across our projects, our work is better, and our engagement is more meaningful.
Culture in community
We must recognise the land we work, live and play on is Aboriginal land. Through our work in development projects, we have worked with local First Nations leaders to offer cultural education to new residents.
Through much of our work on new estates with new residents, we engage with local First Nations people to host events that educate people about the local culture and heritage where they live.
In all we do we seek to raise the voices and create spaces for First Nations culture, language, and heritage to be celebrated on our projects.
We are committed, formally through our Reconciliation Action Plan and more broadly through our own values, to using our voices to reconcile for future generations.
This is a long journey that is ever-evolving. Therefore, we must continue to listen and learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as we walk forward towards voice, treaty, and truth.
We wholeheartedly embrace the journey of reconciliation, aiming to ignite a transformative dimension in our work that motivates people to actively pursue and cultivate fair and truthful relationships with First Nations communities.
