Reconciliation and the Indigenous Connection
Need to further acknowledge indigenous people and educate newly arrived
migrants and refugees about indigenous Australian being the first Australians.
Programs and discussions that recognise indigenous Australians as the
first Australians has also helped refugee young people understand that
Anglo-Australians were once also new settlers/migrants. Discussion identifying
indigenous Australians as the first Australians also assist in challenging
racist issues towards newly arrived refugee and migrants.
"Oh yeh the first Australians were black." proudly announced
by a Sudanese young woman.
Comments like this and making that link with Australia's Black/indigenous
history have helped refugee young people feel more accepted in the mainstream
community rather than feeling like an outsider/the other.
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