Image: Smoking ceremony on the Binna Burra Cultural Landscape, at the reopening of Binna Burra Lodge, September 2020.
National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. It draws attention to the way we can strengthen the relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples) and was supported by Australia’s major faith communities. In 1996, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation launched Australia’s first National Reconciliation Week. In 2001, Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership on reconciliation.
The Binna Burra side of the Lamington National Park is part of the home to a 60-thousand-year-old ancient indigenous culture, and we acknowledge and pay respect to the land and the traditional families of the Yugambeh region of Southeast Queensland, and their Elders past, present and emerging.
The Binna Burra Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) is officially accredited by Reconciliation Australia and Binna Burra Lodge now is recognised as a member of the RAP network.
Steve Noakes, Chairperson of Binna Burra Lodge said: ‘The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2022 is ‘Be Brave, Make Change’. As a key part of our recovery from the 2019 ‘Black Summer’ bushfire devastation, that’s what we’re doing on the Binna Burra Cultural Landscape.’
‘At Binna Burra we know reconciliation is an ambitious goal and we’re committed to a continuous learning-by-doing process. While the RAP is designed to turn our good intentions into actions that progress reconciliation in our cultural landscape, we acknowledge it is just the first step in our ongoing overall reconciliation journey.’
