Act of Public Repentance

Remember this simple but profound expression:
We recognize the Indigenous people, on whose land we stand.

Every speaker begins with this act of public repentance for the treatment of the aboriginal people through British colonialism. They were here first. It is their land. They are a proud people with much to offer in terms of their art and craft and religion and history and story. But, they suffer much as Native Americans do with high rates of dysfunction, alcoholism, abuse, unemployment etc. you know the story, I think. Despite that, many have risen above the mistreatment that took place over the decades and two centuries really. A number of our speakers are from that background.

But, importantly, the faith community has taken on the task of always bringing them to mind, of publically reminding all who are gathered that the Aboriginal were here first, and we are indebted to them for our mistreatment of them over the long years. This is a serious act of public repentance that is liturgical in nature, part of every gathering that takes place in the faith community, and elsewhere as well.

Web pages about the original inhabitants of Australia:
http://www.ozshots.com/aboriginals/
http://www.crystalinks.com/aboriginals.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australians