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Multifaith statement lends support for indigenous peoples’ “Voice” referendum
Jaden Goldfain
March 7, 2023
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For decades, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been calling for fair representation of their people within Australia’s parliament. With Australian citizens set to vote later this year on a constitutional referendum known as a “First Nations Voice to Parliament,” the momentum for justice is more alive than ever.
Several religious leaders across Australia recently reaffirmed their support for the upcoming Voice referendum, urging bi-partisan collaboration to give Australia’s indigenous people the ability to influence the policies and laws that impact their communities. Anglican Church of Australia and The Uniting Church in Australia Assembly are among those who signed the collective statement, alongside members of Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and Jewish communities.
The statement calls on parliamentarians to work together, rising above political differences to “achieve the modest constitutional recognition First Nations people seek: a constitutionally guaranteed Voice in our own affairs.” They recognize the Voice as a significant step toward restoration after the government’s past mistreatment of the First Nations people and admit that unity is going to be crucial in passing the referendum.
Australia holds a rich, yet tragic indigenous history. Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders occupied the land for more than 60,000 years before, as occurred with many indigenous populations. European colonizers overtook the continent in the late 1700s, and vast numbers of the natives were killed.
Around the late 1800s, the violence against indigenous peoples began to cease, but in its place came forced assimilation. Many native children were integrated into the developing Eurocentric society and barred from expressing their culture. This became known as the Stolen Generation.
Today, 800,000 indigenous people make up 3.2% of Australia’s population. While they became Australian citizens along with everyone else in 1948 and gained the right to vote in 1962, they’re still “the country’s poorest and most disadvantaged group,” according to bloomberg.com. “They die earlier, leave school at a younger age and are more likely to spend time in prison.”
Yet, Australia still does not have a constitutional acknowledgment of the First Nations people, nor do they have adequate representation in the legislative body — unlike the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand, as the letter to parliamentarians points out. The Voice referendum would change that, constitutionally implementing a small group of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders that would directly communicate with the parliament regarding pressing issues affecting their communities.
The support has been tremendous from religious organizations. In addition to the letter, a collection of essays was recently published discussing the reconciling effects of the Voice, authored by leaders from multiple religious traditions. Dr. Shireen Morris, Director of the Reform Lab and editor of the book, commented that it’s “inspiring to see Australians of diverse backgrounds advocating for the modest constitutional reform Indigenous people seek… multifaith and multicultural Australians have a crucial role to play.”
For years, churches across Australia have established a Voice in their own congregations to ensure indigenous peoples were represented in decisions to adopt and change certain traditions and policies. Dr. Andreas Lowe, the Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Melbourne, has seen this relationship enact a hospitable, positive change in the congregation’s relationship with the community. In a piece for Eternity News, he stressed the importance of Christian support for the referendum.
“I believe it’s our faith that underpins the work for greater justice for Indigenous people,” Lowe wrote. “Our Scriptures remind us how God consistently calls us to advocate for the marginalized and oppressed, and to promote their justice. As Christians, then, we have a responsibility to speak up for those who have been denied a voice and to work toward a more just and equitable society.”
