On October 14, Australians from all walks of life will be asked to vote on whether to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution and establish a Voice to Parliament.
We, at The Kimberley – Like Nowhere Else Alliance will be voting YES!
By making a statement of support for the Voice to Parliament, we follow the lead of our Indigenous partners in the Kimberley, who have worked for generations to improve the lives and rights of First Nations people, including recently for the Voice campaign.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been caring for Country for more than 65,000 years and have a vital and inseparable cultural connection to Australia’s lands and waters.
Despite being the first people of this land that we all love, Indigenous Australians are not recognised in our Constitution. We believe that voting yes in the referendum is an important step forward for reconciliation and will allow First Nations people to have more input over the issues and policy decisions that affect their lives.
Kimberley Aboriginal people have a rich history of striving for change and have campaigned tirelessly to protect community, culture and Country, including the mighty Martuwarra Fitzroy River.
There is a resounding YES across the Kimberley's Indigenous community, and across Australia more than 80 per cent of Indigenous people are supportive of a Voice to Parliament.
We believe a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament will also create new opportunities to heal Country. Indigenous knowledge and science has an important role to play in protecting and caring for our rivers, oceans and landscapes, to improve biodiversity and to find solutions to tackle climate change.
In the lead up to October 14, we’ll be sharing resources and information from Indigenous voices on the referendum over at our social media platforms on Instagram and Facebook.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk together and create a better future for all Australians.
All of us at The Kimberley – Like Nowhere Else
