CONNECTING COUNTRY
As powerful Black and Indigenous Lives Matter marches bring a wave of feet to Australian streets, it’s heartening to see so many non-Indigenous allies realise that now is the time to stand up. That they must speak out against systemic racism more broadly, and police brutality specifically. That our governments and other institutions, including our architectural leaders, must listen to and learn from our First Nations people.
We can only hope that this much-needed and long-overdue support continues in a real and meaningful way. All Australians have a responsibility to ensure it does. But becoming an ally brings with it obligations and the need to get the balance right. As allies, non-Indigenous Australians must amplify Indigenous voices. They must take on the responsibility of educating themselves, not outsourcing the hardest work.
Looking back on this interview with three architects about the need for greater communication as practitioners embrace Indigenous culture in their design outcomes, the words of Yugembir man Dillon Kombumerri seem prescient.
A passionate voice within the New South Wales Government’s
