Over the period November 2019 to June 2020 an ecumenical faith group of Canberrans from Anglican, Catholic and Uniting parishes met together to listen to the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The faith group was initiated by a group of four ACT locals. Some of the group had earlier attended a national conference at Galong on Laudato si’ and Pope Francis’ letter ‘On Care for Our Common Home’ entitled: ‘An Australian Ecumenical Response to Laudato si’.
Laudato si’ gives special emphasis to collaboration of faiths and to Indigenous knowledge, wisdom, spirituality and understandings of ecosystems. This, and the national push for Indigenous rights, gave rise to a desire to meet together and listen to the voices of First Nations people.
A LISTENING GROUP
The group’s listening was greatly assisted by an Anglican Board of Mission guidebook on the Uluru statement ‘A Voice in the Wilderness – Listening to the Statement from the Heart’ (VITW). About 20 people from the three congregations participated in the fortnightly listening sessions which were facilitated by the leaders who used the VITW leaders guide.
There were seven face-to-face sessions, and then seven Zoom teleconferencing sessions when COVID-19 restrictions came into place. All agreed that the group meetings focused on listening and any group actions would be left until the end of all the listening sessions. Deliberately suspending the human urge to ‘leap to action’ enabled the group to listen deeply and explore through dialogue.
Venues for the face-to-face sessions rotated through each of the worshipping communities involved. All of the 90-minutes listening sessions began with a common prayer written by the Listening Group (see below) and with an ‘Acknowledgment of Country’.
PERSONAL STORIES SHARED
The listening group was entirely non-indigenous, but various group members had personal life experiences and levels of contact with First Peoples. One had been heavily involved in establishment of the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial. Some had come from New Zealand, from Canada and from colonial Africa. Personal stories and experiences were shared as part of the dialogue.
Reading material provided important insights into Indigenous perspectives in Australia and supported the group to engage with scripture, history, and culture. The sharing of perspectives was a key part of the success of the group meetings.
Teleconference guests such as VITW author Celia Kemp from Alice Springs, and Indigenous artist, proud Wiradjuri Man, VITW illustrator and Anglican Minister Glenn Loughrey, helped round out the group’s learnings.
Other guests included a Canberra local, the Reverend Lindsay McDowell from Southern Cross Ministries and Nathan Tyson Nijinsky, a Uniting Church Minister whose mob is from Anaiwon Country.
UNDERSTANDING OF COUNTRY
The last VITW chapter focused on Indigenous understanding of Country. This session was made particularly meaningful by the presence of local Ngunnawal knowledge holder, Wally Bell. Laudato si’ consultant and coordinator of the Galong Laudato si’ conference, Jacqui Rémond, facilitated this session with some of Wally’s photographic visuals shared on Zoom. Wally explained the Ngunnawal word for listening which is ‘wanggi’ and spoke about relationships with Country.
Some of the listening (wanggi) group intend to go further. If possible, the group plan to walk with Wally Bell on his Country when the weather turns to spring so as to deepen understanding of Country and creation through lived experience of place. Some of the group may also convene another group to engage with the ideas and actions of Laudato si’.
Prayer for Listening to the Uluru Statement from the Heart
Creator of all,
We praise you for the gifts of creation, of country and our diversity,
We rejoice in and are grateful for the abundance of our land, our shared home,
We seek to follow Jesus by promoting understanding, justice and a ‘fair share’ for all,
We gather to listen and to learn of the journey of the First Peoples and to support their struggle for sovereignty, voice, Makaratta and truth,
We ask for the gift of the Spirit and the power of discernment,
And we pray that in our thoughts, words and actions we can help deliver the Kingdom of Heaven.
Amen